Heartstone
by sunshineoptimismandangels
Summary: Ancient magic, lurking monsters, and a spell plaguing Blaine's family. All Blaine wants is to survive the evils following him, to let the gray anonymity of New York obscure him. He didn't expect to find the one thing that was most dangerous to him here, and he didn't expect to find Kurt Hummel a man who could uncoil him with a smile and possibly make his cold heart beat again.
1. Prologue

**AN: _Super_ short prologue to start off my next fic. More coming soon.**

* * *

Kurt was running as fast as his legs would go, his heart pumping painfully in his chest and his breath tight as he tried to swallow enough air in fill his lungs. Branches rushed past him in the dark, reaching out and tangling in his clothes and scrapping at his skin like sharp bony hands trying to catch him and just barely missing. He stumbled once, but didn't look back as he pushed himself up from the damp forest ground. There wasn't time, he didn't have time.

He could hear his heart pounding in his ears, and the echoing beat of another heart, but he didn't know if that second beat was just his imagination. His sweat was cold on his skin as the night air snapped at him and he couldn't move fast enough. He ducked between two tall dark looming trees that looked frighteningly like the forms of two tall creatures reaching down towards him and then he came to an abrupt halt. He flung his arms out to his side frantically trying to catch his balance as he'd looked down only to find himself teetering precariously on the edge of a rocky heightwith a sharp drop down into blackness. Kurt swallowed and took a step back away from the edge. There was nowhere to go.

He closed his eyes and steadied his breath reaching into the inside pocket of his coat, feeling the warm smooth surface of the stone he had tucked near his heart. He held back a whimper and slowly turned around as he heard a low hissing sound behind him. He didn't need to open his eyes to know what was there, to know the truth. He had failed. There was nowhere to run and no way to save himself or the man he loved. It was over.

Kurt opened his tearful blue eyes ready to face his fate.


	2. Chapter 1

**AN; Hello all! First off I want to say I know if has been forever since I posted the prolong to this story, but I have written ahead at this point and plan on having weekly updates from here on out (crosses fingers). Whoo hoo!**

 **You should also know that this story would not be happening if it weren't for the consent help and encouragement of my beta Oleanna (** **theatrevicki on Tumblr)** **\- I went through a little writing dry spell and knowing she was waiting (patiently I might add) for me to send her a chapter helped tremendously. She also has great insights and advice and I can't talk this lovely human up enough. XOXO**

 **Also, Oleanna mentioned that I should let you know that I know Blaine is a bit OOC in this. I hope that doesn't turn you away from the story I promise I have plans!**

 **I want to thank sweet-peach-tea as well for drawing just the most beautiful cover art to go with this story, it is as if she walked into my brain and saw exactly what I wanted and then made it even better. Please go check out the full version on Tumblr GORGEOUS!**

 **Anyway, thanks for reading and leave me a comment if you fill like it. Comments = Hot chocolate on a cold day. _  
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* * *

 _Thunder crashed in the sky making the very floor shake under Blaine's bare feet. He sucked in a breath of air and tried to tuck himself into a smaller ball in the corner of the room as lightning briefly illuminated his hiding place. Cooper had said to wait for him here and not to come out of his room. Blaine was trying to be obedient, at only five years old and Cooper twelve years his senior Blaine was used to taking his brother's word as law. Cooper knew best, even if the cold stone ground made Blaine's small frame shiver._

It was hard to stay still with rain pounding against the window and the wind howling, sounding like an angry wild animal. Blaine just wanted to be with his family, but they were all down the hall. He could hear them, even over the sounds of the storm.

His father and Cooper were yelling at each other. His mother was occasionally speaking up, her voice loud but somehow brittle, like it could splinter and little notes of it would bounce off the ground. Blaine hated that his family was fighting. What was worse was that they were fighting because of him. He pulled his knees up to his chin and tried not to cry.

"He's only a child!" Cooper was yelling. He'd already said this numerous times, but it seemed like it hadn't been enough.

"I know!" His father bellowed, "Do you think I want this for him? For you? For any of us?"

"Let me take him," Cooper begged, "I'll keep him safe. You know I would never let anything hurt him."

Blaine sniffed and strained to hear what else was said; he could hear the deep tenor of his father's voice but couldn't make out what he was saying.

"It is decided," his mother spoke up, finality in her voice. Blaine knew that tone; it wasn't one you fought with. "They are coming and we have no time to waste debating."

"But Mother-" Cooper started but stopped abruptly and Blaine could only imagine the look she must have shot him.

It was a few more minutes where Blaine couldn't hear anything else before he looked up and saw someone enter his room, the lightning flashed and Blaine whimpered and reached out when he saw that it was his mother.

"Come here my sweet boy," she called, her voice taking on a softer tone than he'd heard before; she knelt down and pulled Blaine's boots on for him before she lifted him in her arms, smoothing his hair down with her palm and then kissing his head. "You are going with your brother," she said, and Blaine looked up from where he'd buried his head in his mother's neck to see Cooper standing nearby, a tight smile on his face.

Cooper reached out and Blaine only clung to his mother a moment longer before letting Cooper take him. He was old enough that he wasn't really carried anymore, but he was confused and scared and could tell the grown-ups were afraid as well so he let them hold him.

"Have courage," his mother whispered and kissed Cooper's cheek. "Godspeed to you both." Blaine heard the crack in his mother's voice, like she was crying even though there were no tears on her cheeks. Her deep golden eyes looked sad and Blaine wanted to tell her everything was going to be alright, but he didn't even know what was going on.

Everything was a blur after that; he didn't see his father, but as Cooper rushed them out of the house into the pouring rain, he heard his father shouting and the wind howled again and Blaine buried his face in Cooper's shoulder and listened to what sounded like his father scream.

Cooper ran. Rain pelting down on them and the sky roaring in anger. After a while Cooper stopped suddenly and knelt down, setting Blaine on the wet ground. He saw that they had made it to the bluff that bordered on the edge of their property. A place Blaine was never allowed to play because his parents feared he'd fall and hit the jagged rocks that the ocean crashed against below.

"Listen to me Blaine," Cooper was saying breathlessly over the din of the storm. "You are going to have to be very courageous and very still."

Have courage _, that's what mother had said as well. Cooper even sounded like he was crying just like their mother had, but his face was so wet from the rain that Blaine couldn't tell if it was true. "This is going to hurt little brother, but you trust me don't you?"_

Blaine could only manage a frightened nod, but he did trust Cooper and he wanted to be courageous. Cooper reached into his cloak and withdrew a small round pendant no larger than a coin and made of stone. Blaine gasped when he saw it, that pendant belonged to their father; he wore it around his neck at all times for protection. Blaine was never allowed to even touch it, what was Cooper doing with it?

Cooper closed his eyes, held the pendant on the flat of his hand and started to whisper under his breath. Blaine watched in awe as the pendant started to light up, glowing from the inside out and illuminating them both, as he and Cooper knelt on the soggy ground.

Cooper's eyes snapped open just as Blaine had to look away because the light was so bright.

"I'm sorry," Cooper said brokenly, and then he pressed the pendant against Blaine's chest, right over his heart. There was a searing pain and a loud crackling of thunder and Blaine started to scream. He could hear his own heartbeat pounding through the air and then the intensity of the pain in his chest became too much for him and everything went black...

* * *

Blaine reached over to shut off his alarm as it rang, the twin bells of the old clock chiming too loudly in the early morning air until Blaine pressed his palm again the button to turn it off. He lay in bed for a moment longer, staring up at the ceiling and not wanting to get up.

He didn't let himself indulge in 'just a few more minutes' though; it wouldn't help, he never felt truly rested. He sat up and swung his legs over the bed running a hand through his thick hair. He stood and walked to the glass sliding door that took up half of the far wall of his bedroom and pulled back the curtains. The sun was still coming up, painting the sky in soft yellows and blues. Blaine shivered, cold in the cool of the morning, the view doing nothing to warm him. He turned and walked to his bathroom, flipping on the light and undressing, before he stepped into the shower, turning the water on as hot as he could take and standing in the stream until his skin turned pink with the heat of it.

Once he'd showered, the bathroom was filled with heat and the mirror too fogged up to see his reflection. That was fine; it was how he liked it. He wrapped a towel around his waist, not looking down at his body, and then he opened the medicine cabinet and grabbed a comb, pulling it through his short wet curls and letting them dry as they wanted. He brushed his teeth and rubbed his hand over his chin. It was rough, but not too bad, he could put off shaving for tomorrow.

Then he went back to his bedroom to dress. He looked around the almost empty room, frameless bed still unmade, gray walls and metal dresser. Just the basics really, it looked like no one lived here at all. Blaine smiled ruefully to himself: that was close enough to the truth. He didn't think much about the clothes he pulled out of the dresser and then pulled over his body; he then picked up his book bag and looked through it briefly to make sure he had everything he needed for the day.

He grabbed his thick black jacket on the way out, he was always cold and the harsh New York winter didn't help. He pulled a pair of gloves out of the pocket and then stuck his gloved hands in his pockets for the extra warmth. He walked down the street until he got to a little steel rolling cart with a battered blue and yellow umbrella over it sitting at its usual corner.

"Good morning Manuel," Blaine greeted stoically as he wondered how Manuel managed to stand in the cold for so long manning his cart.

The young man behind the cart smiled winningly at him. "Good morning Anderson. I have something special today. Fresh papaya."

Blaine lifted his brows doubtfully, "Fresh papaya in February?"

Manuel shrugged, "Only the best for you."

Blaine looked over the cart at the sparse fruit available, brown bruised bananas and some small apples. "Fine. I'll take your word on it, and some coffee."

"You said my coffee tasted like drinking a cremated cat strained through a dirty nylon," Manuel said, reaching to a shelf under the cart and coming out with a plastic baggie of what did indeed look like slices of fresh papaya.

The side of Blaine's lips twitched up briefly in a smile that was gone just as fast. "Yes, but your coffee is at least warm." Blaine took his order, paid him with whatever bill he found in his wallet first, and turned to leave.

"This is too much Anderson!" Manual called after him, looking at the hundred dollar bill in his hand.

Blaine ignored him and kept walking, letting the heat of the coffee seep through the styrofoam cup and warm his hands, while also munching on the papaya slices. They weren't bad. The day was gray and cloudy, and while it wasn't snowing yet, there were grimy patches of melting snow left on the ground from the flurry a couple of days ago. The whole city seemed muted and dreary and gray; Blaine didn't mind, it fit his mood.

The fruit was gone by the time Blaine reached his subway platform, the coffee he had hardly tasted, just keeping it in his hands for warmth instead. He looked around at the large crowd waiting for the train and then dumped the cup in a nearby trash bin; in this crowd, he'd probably end up with coffee spilt all over him and the meager warmth it provided wasn't enough to make him risk it.

To his left, Blaine noticed a mother with two children waiting for the train. One of her boys was probably four or five and hanging onto his mother's hand while she bent down and tucked a blanket around a toddler in a car seat. The toddler dropped its stuffed doll and his brother leaned down to pick it up for him. Blaine looked away, a heavy feeling in his stomach, and didn't pay them much more attention outside of noticing that the older of the two kept tugging on his mother's hand as he looked around the platform. She patiently let him squirm until the train pulled up and the doors slid open.

People pushed forward to crowd into the car, Blaine never had trouble getting through crowds even if he was shorter than many of the other men here; he had a way of making his presence known and people typically got out of his way. He was stepping onto the train when he saw some impatient man rudely shove the woman and her sons out of the way so he could get in.

The woman was stuck on the platform, people flowing past her, trying to wheel her stroller onto the train car. Blaine sighed and took a step forward, laying his hand on the man's arm; the man looked up at him and was about to snarl something out, but Blaine just wordlessly pushed him back. It wasn't a violent shove, just enough of a push so that the man was back on the platform and Blaine had the space to make room for the woman and her two sons.

"Come on," he said, nodding for her to move, and she looked up and smiled, getting on the train quickly.

"Thank you," the woman said brightly. "I know I take up space but it's hard getting around with two kids and…" She trailed off because it seemed Blaine wasn't listening; the man Blaine had pushed out of the train was yelling.

"What is your fucking problem man!" He said, stepping to get back on the train but Blaine blocked his path as the doors slid closed. The train started moving and Blaine just watched the man on the platform as he shook his fist at Blaine and yelled.

Idiot.

Blaine turned around to find the woman still standing near him with her sons. "Thank you for your help," she repeated.

Blaine glanced down to her older son who was looking up at him with a sticky smile, whatever he'd had for breakfast still partially left on his face.

Blaine just nodded curtly and moved away, not wanting the woman to have a chance to engage him in conversation. Really he'd done that more for his own satisfaction than for her anyway.

A few stops later, Blaine got off the train and headed back up to the surface streets. He looked up at the cloudy sky, surprised it hadn't started snowing; he readjusted the bag on his shoulder and pulled the hood of his coat over his head. He hated the cold. Blaine looked at his watch; he was going to be early for his appointment. That was fine; he didn't have anything much better to do anyway. Besides, being early meant he could go get a real cup of coffee first.

* * *

Kurt jogged back down the hallway to the classroom he'd just left. He poked his head in to see the professor sitting at her desk look up at him. "I left my jacket," he explained with a smile, and slipped into the room to grab the sapphire blue peacoat from where he'd left it hanging on a hook on the opposite wall.

"You better hurry Kurt; don't you have a class right after mine?" Ms. Pole said.

"Not today!" Kurt answered brightly. "It was cancelled and I suddenly have the whole afternoon to myself."

"Oh miracles of miracles," Ms. Pole smiled. "Go. Be young and happy in New York City! Make the best of it while I sit here and grade papers."

Kurt smiled and pulled a thermos out of his book bag. "Hot chocolate," he said, setting it down in front of her. "I haven't had any yet. I swear it is the best hot chocolate you've ever had and I can get the thermos back from you next week."

"Oh, Kurt, I really shouldn't…"

Kurt lifted an eyebrow.

"You're an angel," Ms. Pole said, grabbing the thermos, flipping the lid and taking a deep breath.

Kurt smiled at her, "Enjoy." He started to head out of the room.

"Don't think this will help your grade though young man," she added as he opened the door.

"Do I ever need the help?" He asked with a wink and she laughed shaking her head as Kurt left.

Kurt was in his last year here at NYADA and he knew his teachers well. Ms. Pole taught Creative Production Projects and was one of his favorite teachers. Kurt worked hard in her class, as he did in all of his classes, and always got good grades, he didn't need to bribe her.

There were other teachers he struggled with, though, or they just didn't seem to like him, and if a thermos of hot chocolate would help him out in those classes, he'd be the Hot Chocolate King. However, at this point in his academic career, all he could do was work hard and keep his eyes on the prize. He was so close to graduating.

Kurt got outside and smiled as the crisp cool air hit his face. It smelled like snow. He loved New York in the winter, snowy sidewalks, Ice Skating at Rockefeller Center, bundling up in warm colorful scarves. He loved this city. After living most of his life in Lima, Ohio, moving to New York was like coming home. Not that his first couple of years hadn't been a struggle; it was expensive to live here, and the city could be harsh, but Kurt felt freer here than he ever had. He'd made a place for himself in the city and he knew he'd always feel like New York saved him in a way, or at least afforded him the chance to really be himself. This was somewhere he didn't have to hide.

Now Kurt had been in New York City for four years and he was almost done with school; he even had a part in an off-Broadway play lined up for after graduation. His best friend Mercedes had moved to the city a few months ago adding the cherry on top of his sweet life. Like anyone else, Kurt still had days where he felt buried in schoolwork, and nights where he lay in bed lonely and wanting someone to hold on to, he still missed his dad and step-mom and his friend Rachel who'd moved to California, but all in all, life was good.

Plus, it was Friday and Kurt's last class had been canceled, which meant he got to go to _Aroma Mocha,_ his favorite little coffee shop. He loved it mostly because they made the best mocha latte and also because almost every afternoon, sitting in one of the big oversized velvet chairs and reading a book, you could find one of the most attractive men in all of New York.

Kurt would never say he went to _Aroma Mocha_ just to catch glances of this handsome stranger, but he _did_ need somewhere cozy to do homework, and it _was_ nice to get out of the apartment, so if he spent some afternoons hoping that it would be one of the days "cute coffee shop guy" was there, well, who did that hurt?

The bell above the door chimed as Kurt walked into the shop and out from the chill of the winter air. It was probably going to snow again. The barista smiled and waved at him, he was here a lot.

"Your regular?" She asked as Kurt neared the counter. She was a cute Asian girl with long dark hair and an almost constant smile.

"Yes please."

"One medium non-fat mocha coming up." She leaned forward and spoke in a quieter voice. "Don't look now but your boyfriend is in the corner."

Kurt's eyes widened and he causally turned his head to see cute coffee shop guy in the corner, sitting in the big turquoise wingback he usually occupied and reading a book. Kurt turned back to the barista, hating the way his cheeks warmed; hopefully, they were still pink from the cold outside and she wouldn't see his blush. "He's not my boyfriend, I don't know what you're talking about." |

"Oh?" She smiled at him. "And I thought we both enjoyed that particular view."

Kurt sighed and kept his voice low, "He _is_ really good looking."

The stranger in question was gorgeous actually, tan skin and dark wavy hair. He had these beautiful honey-colored eyes that were framed with maddingly long lashes. He had broad shoulders and strong arms. He still had his jacket on today so Kurt couldn't see his arms, but he knew the muscles were there, he'd seen them before. Not overly bulky but toned and beautiful. He was a little short and compact but really that added to his charm in Kurt's eyes. Today, he had a little scruff to his cheeks and his glasses on to help him read and he made Kurt's heart flutter and his hands a little clammy.

Cute coffee shop guy always came here alone, always sat in the corner reading, and never made eye contact with Kurt.

"More than just good looking," the barista said, pulling his attention back as she handed Kurt his drink. "I'd have that man's babies in a heartbeat."

Kurt laughed and took his order and was going to turn away when a thought hit him, "Hey, what does he usually order?"

"Just drip coffee and he drinks it black."

Kurt scrunched his nose, he had tried to drink coffee straight, and as much as he loved coffee, he had never quite gotten the hang of drinking it black.

"Why?" The barista asked.

"Nothing… I just might buy him a refill if he is here long enough."

"You're actually going to _talk_ to him this time?"

Kurt glanced at the stranger and then back at the barista. "Maybe." He smiled and tipped his cup at her before heading to his usual spot, a small table off to the side with room to do his homework that still had a good view of a particular turquoise wingback chair. Kurt was feeling good today, lucky; maybe it was time to finally meet his handsome stranger.

Kurt had been there a half an hour before he saw the stranger throw away his cup. Kurt was worried that meant he was going to leave, but he looked at his watch and sat back down again. It might seem creepy if Kurt got up immediately to buy him a refill, but then again, if he didn't do it now, he might miss his chance and Kurt had been trying for months to get up the nerve to talk to him.

Kurt got up abruptly from his table and walked to the counter. "A medium drip coffee please," he said, pulling out the money to pay for it. He was going to do this before he talked himself out of it. The barista gave him a little wink as she handed him the coffee and that didn't actually help his nerves.

Kurt couldn't believe he was so nervous; he knew how to talk to guys. After finally getting out of Lima and living in New York for four years, not to mention going to an _arts school,_ he'd had plenty of opportunity to flirt and be flirted with, he'd dated regularly. This was different though, he'd been carrying this crush on cute coffee shop guy for months, and now talking to him was going to be a reality. _Don't mess this up Kurt!_ He thought as he approached the stranger.

"Hi!" Kurt said, and the man looked up from his book taking off his glasses, and damn _those eyes_. Kurt cleared his throat and continued. "I noticed you're out of coffee," he said. "Medium drip right?" Kurt held out the coffee and the man slowly shut his book, laying it on his lap and looking at the coffee in Kurt's hand, and then up to his face, but not answering.

 _Don't just stand here like an idiot._ Kurt chided himself, _say something!_ "I've noticed you here a few times and thought I should introduce myself."

The man nodded, but still didn't take the coffee. "Okay. Go ahead."

"Um… what?" Kurt said nervously, the coffee suddenly feeling too heavy in his hand.

"Introduce yourself."

"Oh." Kurt smiled, the man's voice was smooth and pleasing, but not warm and he wasn't smiling at all. "I'm Kurt."

"Kurt." The man repeated and nodded again. "I see. And you thought it would be what… nice? To buy me coffee?"

Kurt was starting to get a little worried, why was this guy being so weird? _Just take the coffee!_

"It seemed like a good idea at the time." Kurt joked with a smile.

"Sure, just a nice thing to do for a stranger. One of those 'pass it on' things right? But you know the funny truth about random acts of kindness?"

Kurt wet his lips nervously, he didn't know what was going on here, but he didn't like it.

"They aren't really kind." The stranger continued. "People rarely _ever_ do something selflessly kind. On the outside it looks like kindness, but really it is to make the person feel better about themself. It is a pat on the back, an 'oh look at me I'm a good person.'"

"I…" Kurt started and then stopped; he didn't know what to say.

"You give me coffee and I give you validation. Isn't that how this works?"

"No," Kurt said, shaking his head. "That's not what this is."

"Then what did you hope to gain from this little interaction?"

Kurt blinked and then shook himself out of his surprise at how horribly this was going. He clenched his jaw as anger started to flare up in him and then set the coffee down on a little side table by the stranger's chair. "Your name," Kurt spat angrily.

"Excuse me?"

"I was hoping to get your name." Kurt stood up straight, his back rigid, and glared down at the man. "But I don't really care about that now. I have no interest in getting to know someone so _rude_."

The man lifted his eyebrows in surprise as if he didn't even know he'd just been offensive. "My name is Blaine."

"I really don't care," Kurt fumed and turned back towards his table.

"Huh." The man said and Kurt's head snapped around to look at him. "I guess you didn't get anything out of this after all then."

Kurt just shot him a glare and marched back to his table, sitting down and leaning over his books even if he couldn't focus on what he was meant to be reading. Hot tears pooled in his eyes, but he didn't let them fall. He had had gotten used to a certain amount of abruptness from New Yorkers, but that had been humiliating. Not only humiliating, it had been disappointing. He'd been daydreaming about meeting the cute coffee shop guy for so long and now Kurt finally knew his name and he'd found out he _really_ didn't like this Blaine character.

After a few long minutes of angrily glaring at his book, Kurt saw Blaine leave out of the corner of his eye, _taking the coffee with him no less_.

Kurt sighed and tried to relax when someone put a plate with a blueberry scone on it in front of him. Kurt looked up to see the barista standing there.

"That was brutal."

Kurt cleared his throat of tears but didn't answer.

"The scone is on the house for showing me what a jackass that guy is. And to think I've been making flirty eyes with him all this time."

"Thanks," Kurt said, calming down a little.

"Want me to try and spit in his coffee next time he is here?"

Kurt smiled feeling a little better "That won't be necessary, people like that have to deal with their own karma."

"I hope his karma includes slipping in a pile of mud, missing his train and… and getting locked out of his apartment!"

Kurt laughed as the tension started to fade from his shoulders and nodded his thanks as the barista returned to work. Kurt looked down at the scone with a sigh. It had started as such a good day and now months of crushing on cute coffee shop guy had exploded in his face, so why did his heart still to fluttery little flips when he thought about Blaine's golden eyes?


	3. Chapter 2

**AN: I am so excited about the response to this story, thank you for reading and for those of you who left reviews thank you thank you! (- that's a double thank you). If you have a moment go check out sweet-peach-tea's beautiful art, I can't link it on FF but if you can't find it send me an ask and I'll help you!**

 **I hope you enjoy this weeks update!**

* * *

 _Kurt looked up when he heard loudly pealing laughter from a group of older kids as they chased each other into the ocean. They splashed in the water as the blue waves rolled in onto the sandy beach._

 _"Don't you want to go play in the water?" Kurt's mom asked and he smiled up at her before looking back down at the sand castle he was making. It was almost done, he just needed to build that water thing around it, all the best castles had that water thing._

 _"Not until it's finished; it still needs water," Kurt answered, scrunching up his little nose as his mother smiled at him._

 _"Water?"_

 _"Like around it, in a circle."_

 _"Ahhh, a moat."_

 _Kurt nodded seriously. "I need to do that first."_

 _His mother leaned over and gave him a peck on his forehead. "Okay, I'm going to go sit with dad for a little while. Come and get me and we'll get in the water together."_

 _Kurt watched her walk back to where his dad was relaxing in a beach chair; she kissed him awake and Kurt smiled before turning away. This had been the best family vacation ever, he loved the beach. Kurt grabbed his yellow plastic shovel and starting giving his sand castle a moat, the sun hot on his shoulders and the salty ocean breeze in his face._

 _His mom had put on so much sun-tan lotion that he felt a little greasy, but mostly he didn't even care that there was sand in his bathing suit and lotion all over his skin. He was having fun. He finished the moat and then hurried to his parents. "It's done! It's done come and see!"_

 _His mom got up and grabbed his hand and his dad got up, grabbing an empty plastic pail and heading towards to ocean. "Aren't you going to come look daddy?" Kurt asked, feeling a little disappointed._

 _"Of course bud, give me a second."_

 _Kurt tugged his mom over to the castle and started pointing out its unique structure. "That is the tower where the princess sleeps and the knight has to climb up and save her. Or a prince… A prince might need saving too, right?" Kurt asked looking at his mom for the answer. "If I was a knight could I save a prince?"_

 _"Of course." She answered easily as his dad joined them, water now in the plastic pail. "Mommy said you built a moat, want some water for it?"_

 _"Yes!" Kurt answered excitedly as his dad poured the ocean water into the moat he'd dug. Now it was perfect. The three of them went to play in the ocean after that and Kurt all but forgot about his sand castle until the sun started going down in the sky and it was time to leave._

 _He'd been happy and energetic all day, but now as his mother carried him back to where they'd left their stuff, he felt heavy and sun sleepy. "You are going to sleep soundly tonight aren't you baby?" She asked, and Kurt just nodded before picking up his head. What was that noise? Kurt looked over to where he'd made his sand castle, it sounded like it was coming from over there._

 _"Can I go see my castle again before we go?"_

 _"Yes, but don't go far, it won't take us long to be ready." She put him down and started packing their things into a beach bag and Kurt ran over to his castle only to stop short, his stomach dropping when he saw the castle was destroyed. It looked like someone had walked right on top of it. He got down on his knees and reached out with a chubby little hand. "My castle," he said sadly, his eyes filling with tears._

 _Then, the sound he heard started again, it was faint, a rhythm of some kind._

 _Baa bump baa bump. It was coming from inside his ruined castle, he dug though the sand with his hands for a minute. Baa bump baa bump. Baa bump baa bump. The noise was getting faster and louder until Kurt uncovered a rock, bigger than his hand and ruby red in the light of the setting sun. Baa bump. He reached out and picked it up and the sound stopped immediately. The stone looked smooth like glass and cought the sunlight beautifulyl._

 _"Oh honey." Kurt looked up to see he mom standing over him. "I'm sorry about your castle."_

 _Kurt didn't care much about his sand castle anymore. "Look what I found." He said lifting up the rock._

 _"That's pretty." She said giving him a warm smile._

 _"Feel it." His mom reached out and ran her hand over it; it was a little bigger than her fist. "The ocean has made it nice and smooth hasn't it?"_

 _"Can I keep it?"_

 _"Kurt, you already have that whole bag of seashells…" She sighed as Kurt looked up at her, he knew he had found a lot of great seashells, but none of them were as special as this rock. He'd give them up if it meant he could keep it._

 _"Please?"_

 _"Okay sweetie, what is one more thing to put it the bag?"_

 _Kurt jumped up happily. This rock was important, he could tell. His dad ended up carrying him back to the car and he fell asleep on his way to the hotel room. They woke him up for dinner and he watched a little TV before going to bed._

 _It was dark and quiet in the room aside from the sound of his dad snoring when he woke up. Kurt sat up in bed and listened. Did he hear his rock again? He slipped out of bed and walked to the beach bag by the door, looking through it until he found his plastic bag of seashells, and among them, the smooth red rock. It wasn't making any noise, but when he pulled it out, it felt warm in his hands. He carried it back to bed with him and tucked it under the covers._

 _"If you are going to make funny sounds again." He yawned as his eyes fluttered closed. "I'm listening."_

* * *

"Kurt you are _not_ cancelling on me. No way"

Kurt sighed as Mercedes's insistent voice came through his phone. "Cedes, trust me I'd much rather spend the evening with you than work on a group project for school, but I can't help it."

"Tell them you have plans. Better yet, give me these drama kids' numbers and _I'll tell them_."

Kurt smiled at her fervor. "As much fun for me as that would be, we just need to get this done."

"I thought you'd gotten all of your school work out of the way so we could have quality time this weekend?"

Kurt rubbed his head and stopped on the street where he was walking, and then quickly got out of the way as people starting bumping into him. He _had_ told Mercedes that he'd been done with his school work so they could have the whole evening together. He just hadn't planned for the incompetence of the people in his group.

"Do you really need this grade?" Mercedes asked in a softer voice when it seemed that Kurt wasn't going to respond. The thing was, he didn't. He had good grades in this class and had already done his part of the project. It was just that the others would hate him for bailing on them and their last minute group meeting..

He was only going to this thing to be nice. So that these people in his group who he didn't even like that much would like him. _People rarely ever do something selflessly kind._ Kurt frowned as Blaine's words from the day before came back to him. He didn't believe that; people were kind. There was true goodness in the world despite the aggravating words of some good-looking self-important jerk.

In this case _rude coffee shop guy_ had been right though, Kurt was only going so his classmates would think well of him. And when it came down to it, he'd rather do right by Mercedes who was so busy he rarely got too see her.

"No, I don't need the grade that badly," Kurt answered. "And I do need some girl talk."

"Yes! Okay, I'll meet you at the restaurant at 7:30?"

"I'll be there." He'd just email his part of the project to the rest of the group and wish them the best.

Kurt had known Mercedes since his glee club days in high school. They had been fast friends, and besides a rough patch with Mercedes's brief crush on him before he came out, they'd been inseparable ever since. In fact, she was the first person Kurt had ever said the words, "I'm gay" to and she'd been wonderful about it.

Mercedes worked as a recording artist now and was in New York getting inspiration for her next album. Her career was doing really well; she wasn't famous enough to get mobbed on the street for autographs, but she had the fan base to allow her to tour the country, signing at some smaller venues that she always packed. Kurt was glad to have her in New York for a while. He had to admit he'd been a little lonely since his friend and roommate Rachel had moved away.

Kurt made sure to dress to the nines for dinner knowing Mercedes would do the same, and as he walked into the restaurant and saw her, he was glad of what he was wearing, cravat and all. She was in a sparkly purple dress that came down to just above her knees and made every other woman in the room pale in comparison.

"Kurt!" She called and gave him a big hug as he approached. "Boy you look fabulous."

"So do you!"

"That's true." She beamed at him, her smile bright against her perfect dark skin. They sat down for dinner and talked like they hadn't seen each other for months, though the truth was they'd had dinner together just a couple of weeks ago.

"And Kurt, there is a new guy in my touring crew," she said excitedly. "His name is Tank and…" She got a faraway look in her eyes.

"Really?" Kurt lifted an eyebrow and watched her get lost in thought; it had been too long since he'd seen that look on his friend's face.

"He is dreamy," Mercedes finished. "And Hot. And dreamy."

Kurt laughed at that and they spent a little time talking about how cute and awkward Tank had been asking her out for the first time, especially for a man whose size reflected his name.

"God Cedes you are so lucky to have found a nice guy. I swear the men in New York are getting worse and worse."

"Kurt, there has to be someone at NYADA that's caught your eye, isn't there a guy there that keeps asking you out?"

"He's only asked me out two or three times."

"Oh, _only_ two or three." Mercedes rolled her eyes.

"But I'm not sure Aaron is the guy for me."

"He doesn't have to be _the one,_ " Mercedes said dramatically. "Just go on a date, have some fun!"

"I find I don't have much fun when I _force_ myself to go out with someone."

Mercedes huffed out a breath and crossed her arms. "Fine. What about hot coffee shop guy?"

"You mean cute coffee shop guy?"

Mercedes smiled and Kurt looked down at his nearly empty plate in embarrassment, he should have said _what coffee shop guy_? Did he really talk about him enough that Mercedes remembered it? Kurt drew a breath and looked back up, "I talked to him actually."

"No!"

"And it was… awful."

"What?"

"You know how they say, 'never meet your heroes'? Well, I think you should also never meet the people you have been crushing on from afar because it's bound to let you down. Seriously, he is the one that's made me doubt there are any good single guys left in New York."

"What happened. Was he straight?" Mercedes teased.

"What? No. I mean I don't even know. I gave up crushing on straight boys after high school you know that, I get a distinct 'interested in men' vibe from him. He was just… mean."

"Mean? To you?" Mercedes sat up, her face going hard, as if at Kurt's word she'd go track this guy down and hit him over the head with her purse right then.

Kurt shifted uncomfortably in his chair; talking about this made him gloomy and he hated feeling this way. He was strong and confident and didn't pine over guys who weren't worth the time of day. "Yeah, he said something about how I was only being nice to him because I had something to gain from it… or something like that. It was awkward. I might have snapped at him."

"Oh Kurt," Mercedes said, covering his hand with her own, but she couldn't help the smile that was attempting to spread over her face. "Did you give him a good Kurt Hummel bitch rant?"

"I wish. I was mostly really shocked and disappointed; he always looked so… nice." Kurt shrugged, not really wanting to talk about it anymore.

"Uh huh, you liked him because he looked _nice_."

"That was part of it!" Kurt insisted. "He always holds the door open for other customers and he always tips the baristas and he helped get a toy that had rolled under the counter one day for a crying child. He gives up his chair a lot of times when it is crowded. He just seemed … sweet." Kurt thought back, a little embarrassed of all the time he'd spent watching Blaine, and okay, it turned out he did want to talk about it after all.

"I take my sarcasm back, that does sound exactly like the kind of guy you'd fall for." Mercedes said, "You were always a sucker for the hero type."

"Doesn't matter. I was wrong about him. I bought him a coffee and introduced myself and he somehow ends up telling me all acts of kindness are just selfish and… god, it was such a letdown."

Mercedes leaned forward a little and met his eyes. "Two things. One, what he said to you doesn't seem to line-up with what you've observed about him, so maybe he _is_ a sweet guy and he's just not used to someone being nice to him?"

Kurt blinked at her, he hadn't actually thought about that.

"Or maybe he's a jerk, I don't know. But that brings me to point two. It might be okay for you to let go of that crush. You tend to… like guys you can't have? I'm not saying go out with Aaron if you really don't want to, but maybe give a guy you actually know a shot? How long has it been since you've had a boyfriend Kurt?"

"I go on dates a lot."

"Yes, dates, but that's different than being in a relationship. Having someone who is there for you, that you can call yours. Kurt, it is such a great feeling. Maybe you need a boyfriend."

"I don't need a boyfriend to be happy."

"I know, but… It's just that…" Mercedes shrugged and seemed to shift gears. "I do know that. You're a strong black woman who needs no man." She winked at him and Kurt laughed. Mercedes changed the subject and Kurt let her.

He _didn't_ need someone else to be happy… still it would be nice.

On Monday at school Kurt practically ran into Aaron in the hallway, making him drop some of his things. They were both kneeling on the ground picking them up and apologizing to each other and Kurt couldn't help but think this was kind of like a "meet cute" in a movie. Aaron was a good guy, why had he never said yes the many times Aaron had asked him out?

They both stood up and Aaron smiled at him. He was tall and in great shape and had light wavy hair that went down to about his chin but was most often kept back in a tuff of a ponytail. He was cute.

"Thanks for the help," Aaron said. "I'm rushing from class to class a bit too fast I guess." He smiled brightly and suddenly Kurt heard Mercedes's voice in his head. _Maybe give a guy you actually know a shot?_ Still, he couldn't make himself ask Aaron out, but if Aaron asked for a fourth time, then maybe Kurt would say-

"Hey Kurt, want to go get dinner this evening?" Aaron asked with a hopeful smile and Kurt's eyes widened in surprise.

"Yes."

"I mean I get it if you don't…. wait _yes_?"

"Yes, sure," Kurt answered and laughed nervously.

"Great! What about that little sushi place on the corner?"

"Okay, I'll meet you there, about six?"

"Great!" Aaron repeated and his enthusiasm was catching. They went to their separate classes and Kurt found that he was actually a little excited about having a date that evening, and if it served the dual purpose of getting his unfortunate encounter with Blaine out of his mind, all the better.

* * *

Blaine shifted nervously in his chair as _Aroma Mocha_ started to fill up. It was busy this afternoon and Blaine kept glancing at the little table to his right. It was still empty; the man who usually sat there, Kurt, wasn't here yet. And if he didn't hurry, all the tables would be full.

Kurt usually came to the coffee shop this time of day. He probably worked or lived nearby because he'd always sit at that table and do his homework and steal glances at Blaine. He hadn't come in on Monday even though Blaine had waited for a long time, dodging the glares of the barista; he hoped Kurt would come in today.

Blaine had noticed him on more than one occasion, how could he not? Kurt dressed better than anyone else in the shop and his hair was always perfect and gorgeous and he had these bright blue eyes that made Blaine want to smile and he wasn't the kind of person to waste a smile. So yes, Blaine had noticed him and he'd even admit he liked looking at him from time to time. He had never thought about actually _talking_ to him though. Kurt had been a pretty stranger that brightened Blaine's cold days a bit. Nothing more.

But then last Friday that had changed. Blaine was about to head out that afternoon for his meeting when he looked up and saw this breathtaking stranger standing in front of him and offering him coffee and Blaine… well Blaine had been himself. Surly and abrupt and rude. That's what Kurt had said, he'd called him rude. Blaine had been called much worse in his long life. So a flippant comment, true though it may have been, shouldn't bother Blaine so much.

Except Kurt hadn't deserved the way he treated him, and for some reason Blaine couldn't understand, it had been weighing on him. He hated that he'd been rude to Kurt. Blaine didn't usually spend much time thinking about other people's feelings; he minded his own business and expected others to do the same, but the way Kurt's face had gone from bright and hopeful to hurt and shocked kept replaying in Blaine's mind and he had to do something about it.

The door chimed and Blaine looked up, his breath catching in his chest as Kurt walked into the coffee shop. He was wearing that bright blue coat again, the one that made his eyes look like gems, and the whole room seemed to brighten as he walked in. That was ridiculous of course; the sun probably just came out from behind a cloud. Blaine watched as he got into the long line and Blaine tried to make eye-contact with the barista, a different one from yesterday, but she didn't look up. Too busy trying to get through the line of customers in front of her.

Blaine looked around the room as the last of the chairs was taken, only Kurt's little table was left and there were three people in front of him in line. Blaine grabbed his bag and got up from his chair, walking over to the table and sitting down. Finally, it was Kurt's turn to order; he got up to the counter and talked to the barista for a moment, Blaine saw a look of surprise come over his face as the girl refused to take his card to pay for the drink. Blaine swallowed nervously. Kurt glanced over to Blaine's normal chair, a petite girl texting on her phone was sitting there now, and then over to where Blaine was sitting at the table. Kurt's table.

Kurt scowled at him and Blaine's heart dropped, he'd messed up, this bright and cheerful person already hated him Once Kurt's drink was ready, he walked up to Blaine with a determined step. _Good afternoon Kurt_ was on Blaine's tongue, but he was beaten to the punch.

"This drink isn't from you is it?" Kurt said, lifting up his cup. "They said it was already paid for."

Blaine cleared his throat but again didn't have a chance to say anything.

"And why did you give up your regular chair? Just to steal _my_ regular table?"

Blaine stood up from the table immediately. "The drink is from me, for the coffee the other day."

"Right, because someone can't just buy you a coffee to be nice. You have to make sure you pay them back right?"

Okay this really wasn't working well. Blaine wasn't good at apologies, probably because he rarely bothered to give them. "I sat at the table to save it for you." Blaine tried to explain, he needed to say more but Kurt made him flustered.

Kurt narrowed his eyes at him and Blaine felt himself getting sweaty with nerves. This was ridiculous. He'd once stared down the barrel of a gun and it wasn't as intimidating as the look on Kurt's face right now.

"Why?"

"Why?" Blaine repeated.

"Why save the table for me? To be _nice_?"

"No. To say sorry."

Kurt arched a perfect eyebrow, and even angry, he was still one of the most beautiful men Blaine had ever seen.

"I was rude the other day and I've felt bad about it and hoped to make it up to you. I shouldn't have treated your kindness that way. I apologize."

"Oh." Blaine watched as Kurt took a breath, surprise settling over his features. "Thank you." Kurt sat down and Blaine grabbed his coffee from the table and turned to go. That had gone about as well as Blaine could have expected, at least he'd been able to say his piece.

"Wait!"

Blaine turned back to look at Kurt.

"All the other seats are taken. Sit with me."

Blaine could feel his eyes grow round in surprise and hurried to school his expression, he took a step back towards Kurt. "Why would you want me to sit with you?" He tried not to sound suspicious, but there was no reason for Kurt to want to spend more time with him.

"Because I'm trying really hard to figure you out and if you leave I can't do that as well," Kurt answered and arched that brow again.

Blaine looked at the empty seat across from Kurt and back to the exit where he'd been heading. Then he looked at his watch, he had time. He sat down, and when Kurt smiled, Blaine felt an odd warm sensation bloom in his chest.

"Do you maybe want to start over?" Kurt asked, his eyes sparkling. "Hi. I'm Kurt." He held out his hand and Blaine looked down at it. He paused for only a moment, afraid of being accused of being rude again and quickly slipped off the gloves he was still wearing before taking Kurt's hand, and oh it was _so warm_.

"I'm Blaine."

Kurt shook his hand and then reached for his mocha, taking a sip. "Your hand is cold," he finally said.

"Thus the gloves," Blaine answered, holding them up. Blaine took a sip of his own drink and for some reason didn't mind the silence that fell between them or even the way Kurt seemed to be studying his face.

"Can I ask you something gravely important?" Kurt spoke up after a moment.

Blaine swallowed nervously and nodded his head.

"Do you always drink your coffee black?"

Blaine felt a smile tip up on his lips before he even thought about it. Kurt's returning smile was like being bathed in sunlight. "Yes I do."

"That is the saddest thing I've ever heard," Kurt said. "No cream or sugar _ever_?"

"I don't care for cream and sugar is too sweet."

Kurt reached out as if to take Blaine's cup, and he realized only after a moment's pause that was exactly what Kurt was doing. He handed Kurt his coffee without even thinking about it.

"I want to try something, and if you don't like it, I'll buy you a new cup."

Blaine watched silently as Kurt made his way to the condiments table and took Blaine's lid off, stirring something in his coffee before replacing the lid and coming back to the table.

Blaine didn't do this. He didn't have coffee with strangers and he certainly didn't drink something he knew someone had altered. He wasn't friendly and he definitely wasn't trusting, but when Kurt sat down and told him to try it, Blaine took a sip. It was still his dark roast coffee but with just a hint of something else, something familiar but not in this context. It was really good.

"Cinnamon?" Blaine asked, taking another sip.

"Do you hate it?"

"No, I like it. A lot."

Kurt looked at him closely, "Are you just saying that to be nice?"

"I don't really do _anything_ just to be nice," Blaine answered seriously, but it made Kurt laugh. It was a beautiful sound, hearty and happy and ringing like bells, it made something tight squirm in Blaine's belly. Something he hadn't let himself feel in a very long time.

Kurt smiled at him, his cheeks tinged a little pink and he looked down at the table and back up again almost shyly. Blaine had to remind himself to breathe.

"I have another question if you don't mind."

Blaine gestured for him to go on, "I don't mind."

"Do you _really_ believe people are only kind out of selfish motives?"

Blaine mulled over the question, those words had obviously stuck with Kurt, and Blaine regretted saying them to him. He didn't want to be the person who made Kurt see the world for what it could be, cold and harsh and lonely. "That's been my experience," Blaine answered, though that was only partially true.

"I take it back. _That_ is the saddest thing I've ever heard," Kurt said softly and Blaine's chest started to hurt. "I'm sorry that's been your experience."

Blaine stood from the table quickly. "I have to go." Blaine looked at his watch. "I have an appointment." And at least that was true.

"Oh… I didn't mean to scare you off." Was it Blaine's imagination or did Kurt look disappointed he was leaving?

"You didn't. I really do have somewhere to be, I was worried you wouldn't get here in time today for me to apologize."

"Maybe we could have coffee together again next time we're both here?" Kurt asked hopefully, and Blaine didn't understand why someone as interesting and beautiful as Kurt would give him a second chance like this, but he wasn't about to turn it down.

"Okay, I'd like that." Blaine grabbed his bag and the cinnamon coffee which might be his new favorite now, and headed out the door; when he turned back, he found Kurt still smiling at him and Blaine had to look quickly away. This was such a bad idea, Blaine should stay away from guys like Kurt… he just really didn't want to.


	4. Chapter 3

**AN: Hello dears! I am posting this chapter a little early because... well I felt like it. ;) I hope you enjoy this part as we get to know Blaine a little better. And again a HUGE thanks to my beta theatervicki who is like having your own personal cheerleader.**  
 **And remember comments = the feeling of a cool crisp October day after a long too hot summer!**

* * *

Blaine pulled his jacket in around him tighter and walked into the crumbling old building; the fact that one of its walls was now rubble on the ground and another one looked to be following that way soon did little to keep out the chill. Blaine glanced up at the high arched ceiling that was somehow miraculously still mostly intact and a shiver ran down his spine. This time not out of cold, but something else; a creeping feeling of disaster that always filled him when he had to visit this old neglected church.

He closed his eyes and pictured it in its glory days. Stained glass windows letting in sunlight, the sound of an organ playing, the pews filled with devoted believers coming to worship. And one lone and lonely man sitting in the back, huddled in his heavy riding coat and wishing he could feel the same hope this place gave the others here.

His eyes opened as the thought faded and he was again met with the sight of a stone building stripped of its previous glory. Stained glass long gone, stolen or taken for another church. No organ, no pews, just garbage littering the once sacred ground, Blaine glanced down at the newspapers and beer bottles and even a syringe or two. Time had taken this church as its victim.

He readjusted his bag on his shoulder and headed towards the far wall, the only somewhat sturdy wall the chapel had left, and then pushed open the creaky old door that led to a small chamber lit only by a hole in the ceiling. On the ground was a latched door, dusty with disuse and covered in rubbish; of course Blaine knew it was staged to look that way on purpose. He took a key from his pocket and used it on the latch, lifting it up and then fishing a flashlight out of his bag before making his way down the narrow and slippery stone steps to the cellar below. The latched door fell shut behind him with a resounding thud.

Blaine walked down a short hallway, using the beam of his flashlight to lead him, until he reached yet another door. This one was newer and made of thick heavy wood, it had a knocker hanging in the middle of it made out of iron and it was shaped in the gruesome face of some kind of vicious creature, the round knocker hanging from its snarling jaw. Blaine didn't like to look at it; it made him feel ill and brought back memories of the wind howling around him as a man screamed in horror somewhere behind him.

Blaine shook off his feeling of dread and used the knocker to pound out a specific rhythm. A code to let the listener know who was knocking. It took a long moment, but soon Blaine heard movement from behind the door and someone was unlocking locks, and then the door swung inward and the light of the room beyond filled the corridor where Blaine stood waiting.

"Blaine!" A man's voice called out warmly, and as Blaine's eyes adjusted to the extra light, he could make out the stout and squat form of the man he'd come to see. "Blaine from the Gaelic meaning 'lean or thin,'" the man continued, and then walked back into the room assuming Blaine would follow, which he did.

The room was small with a low ceiling and it was round in shape, with oil lanterns hanging periodically throughout, casting the room in a warm yellow glow. The walls were lined with shelves and locked cabinets, the shelves were filled with jars and pots and statues and assorted artifacts, and what Blaine was pretty sure was a shrunken head that he avoided really looking at. To the left was another door almost as squat as the man, it was double locked and Blaine had never been behind it. The whole room gave off a somewhat antique feel, but the best thing about this room was that it was warm, one of the few places in the winter where Blaine felt like he could actually take his jacket off.

"Shut the door please?" The man asked and Blaine shut the door behind him and started locking it too even as the man called out, "And lock it will you son?"

When the door was secure, Blaine turned back around. "You know I don't like it when you call me 'son,' _Phillip_."

"Tsk tsk," the man responded. "Someone is in a foul mood. You never call me Phillip, Greek for lover of horses; it isn't the name I've chosen for myself."

Blaine tilted his head and crossed his arms.

"But I suppose that's what happens if I call you something you don't like. Cheeky boy. Is it okay if I call you cheeky boy? That is what you are."

Blaine took off his bag, ignoring the question, and set the bag down on the long table that took up most of the room.

"Oh you have something good for me don't you?" The man asked excitedly.

Blaine nodded. "I'm not here for a social call, Felix," Blaine said, using the name his acquaintance preferred.

"Mmmm," Felix nodded and smiled, "That may be, but you know I don't like to rush into business talk." He walked over to an old iron stove in the corner and moved a tea kettle to heat up. "Would you like something to eat? I have biscuits."

Blaine let out a sigh, "Yes, fine. Thank you." He reached into his bag and pulled out the old wooden box he'd put in there that morning. He placed the box on the table and watched as Felix looked over from the stove, a suddenly hungry look in his eyes.

Felix walked over with two teacups in his hands, apparently forgetting his declaration that he didn't like to get right down to business. "What is it?" He looked at the box and then up at Blaine with raised eyebrows.

"What about tea and biscuits?" Blaine retorted with a smile.

That made Felix lift his eyebrows even higher, "Are you teasing me and… _smiling_?"

Blaine shrugged, he didn't mind Felix. He was eccentric and probably more than a little two-faced, but he treated their business transactions with care and always had payment for his purchases, and besides, Blaine was in a good mood. Blaine let his lips tip up in another unexpected smile as he thought about having coffee with Kurt that afternoon and his invitation for them to do it again. Blaine schooled his expression quickly though realizing that Felix was watching him with curiosity.

"I found the dagger." Blaine answered Felix's first question, trying to be all business. He flipped open the wooden box to reveal a dagger sitting in plush blue velvet, the light of the room reflecting off of its polished silver hilt. Felix immediately placed the teacups on the table-top and reached for the dagger, but right before his fingers could grab it, Blaine snapped the wooden box closed again. Felix looked at him in annoyance.

"You have payment?" Blaine asked.

Felix rolled his eyes, "Cheeky boy." Then he turned and walked to one of his cabinets on the wall, unlocking it and pulling a small glass vial out and returning to the table. Inside was a clear red liquid; Blaine looked at it in confusion before he took it and lifted it up, letting the light filter through the red liquid before looking back at Felix in frustration. This wasn't what he'd come for; Felix had never double crossed him before, but Blaine couldn't help but glance at the door, already planning his quick exit.

"I know I told you I'd have that emerald you wanted…" Felix started but Blaine cut him off.

"You promised the emerald, Felix. I have another client expecting it; we are past the bargaining phase of this transaction." Blaine clenched his jaw, trying not to let his emotions show; he'd been counting on that emerald, his other client had information that was important to Blaine and he had no way of getting it without delivering exactly what he'd promised. "I've always come through for you, Felix. What are you trying to pull?"

Felix tutted with his tongue and took the vial back from Blaine's hands. "I know what you are looking for young man. And I know you think you're close to finding out information about it, but I thought why use the emerald to get information when the information you need is right here in this room?" He lifted up the vial. "Do you not know what this is?"

Blaine let out a long breath of air through his nose and gave the glass another glance as his heart started pounding in his chest. The red was rather distinctive, but that didn't mean…

"It looks like the remains of a heartstone." Blaine said, crossing his arms over his chest and then feeling the tightness there start to unfurl as Felix's face broke out into a huge grin. Blaine blinked and looked back at the vial quickly reaching for it, but this time Felix was the one to draw it quickly away from his grasp.

"It _is_ the remains of a heartstone."

"How did you get that?" Blaine asked in wonder, knowing that if Felix said it was the remains of a heartstone, it would be. Felix would never sully his reputation by trading something that wasn't real.

"The dagger?" Felix said reaching out his open hand.

Blaine nodded and opened the wooden box again, placing the dagger in Felix's hand as Felix let him take the vial. Blaine held it up to the light again watching the red liquid shimmer. A cold chill ran down his spine. "Who is it?"

When Felix didn't immediately answer, he glanced at him and caught him staring at the dagger as if it was a long lost lover. "This is going to make me so much money." He grinned and it looked sinister to Blaine. He cleared his throat and Felix looked back up, his face clearing and then settling into a less menacing looking smile.

"Does it matter who it was?" Felix asked. "I'm sure no one you know."

Blaine felt a lump in his throat, that wasn't actually comforting. "You know a vial of the remains of a heartstone is much more valuable than that dagger," Blaine said, wondering if he was missing something or if this was a trick.

"You are confusing, rare and valuable," Felix said, placing the dagger back in the wooden box and then walking over to a large cupboard in the corner of the room and locking it in. "The vial may be rarer, but not many people care about its contents, unlike you. The dagger on the other hand..." Felix rubbed his dry hands together, the sound making Blaine shiver. "Many people are interested in acquiring that, but if you still want the emerald…"

"No." Blaine shook his head. "You're right, this is better."

Felix smiled and turned towards the stove as his tea kettle started to whistle. "I suppose I couldn't still talk you into staying for tea? Maybe you could tell me what has gotten you in such a good mood. I've seen more smiles out of you this afternoon than in the entire course of our friendship."

"Friendship?" Blaine questioned.

"Do you think just anyone I do business with has a key to this cellar?"

"I don't have a key to your front door though."

"I'm not _that_ trusting," Felix said with a wink. "As I'm sure you understand." He started pouring tea and Blaine briefly considered staying, Felix was entertaining if nothing else and Blaine didn't really have anywhere else he needed to be, plus it was warm here. Yet, even if Felix called him a friend, Blaine knew that that was something he couldn't afford to have.

"Thanks, but I'll pass," Blaine answered, wrapping the vial in a cloth from his bag and then pocketing it.

Felix let out an exaggerated sigh. "You are going to tire of your own company one of these days Blaine son of Ander, and on that day I may not offer you tea."

Blaine just shrugged, shouldering his bag and leaving the room, climbing the stairs until he was back in the abandoned church, the winter air nipping at his cheeks. He reached a hand in his pocket and felt the vial; even through the cloth it was still warm. Blaine blinked back some unwanted tears and tried to chase away the question about who died for him to have this vial. He walked on, putting Felix and his worries behind him.

* * *

Kurt couldn't believe he was doing this. He'd _just_ had dinner with Aaron the day before; they'd gone for sushi after school and Kurt had had a nice time, but it didn't really feel like a date to him. Probably because he wasn't really interested in Aaron, but Aaron evidently thought it went well. Not only did he offer to walk Kurt home and take his hand while doing so, he'd asked Kurt to go out with him again the next day.

That's how Kurt found himself getting ready for a second date with Aaron in just two days. Kurt was frustrated that he couldn't make himself more excited about this. Aaron was nice, easy to talk to, handsome; he had similar interests and apparently liked him. Still, Kurt just wasn't really feeling it. He thought back to talking to Blaine that afternoon at the coffee shop. It had been a surprise to him to find Blaine there buying him coffee and saving Kurt his table. At first, Kurt didn't trust it at all; Blaine had been so unreasonably rude before, that Kurt had had no reason to trust this apparent turn around. And yet…

Blaine's apology had seemed so sincere, and when Kurt had asked him to sit with him, he'd looked so pleasantly surprised that Kurt's heart had fluttered a little. Kurt still wasn't sure what to make of Blaine, but he knew he wanted to spend more time with him, try to figure out what made him tick. He didn't know if he trusted Blaine after their first disastrous encounter, but one thing was apparent, Kurt was more excited about the possibility of running into Blaine at _Aroma Mocha_ tomorrow than he was about going out with a cute classmate this evening.

The only reason he was going out with Aaron again was that Mercedes was probably right, he needed to give Aaron a chance and not fixate on guys who were unavailable, or in Blaine's case, completely unreadable.

So Kurt straightened his gold jaguar brooch, double checked his outfit, and headed out to meet up with Aaron, pushing thoughts of Blaine out of his head. Blaine was a silly crush and Aaron was an actual guy who was interested in Kurt and seemingly fit well with him. On paper, they worked. Kurt smiled when Aaron met him at the entrance of the restaurant, taking his jacket and complimenting Kurt's appearance, and okay the way Aaron was looking at him was really nice, it made Kurt blush a little.

They sat down at a little secluded booth in the corner and Aaron was a perfect gentleman. It didn't take long for Kurt to relax and actually start enjoying himself. Aaron was funny and a good conversationalist, not talking too much about himself, but still being interesting. At the end of the evening when Aaron offered to walk Kurt home again, it was Kurt who reached out to hold Aaron's hand.

"Kurt, I've wanted to go out with you for months," Aaron said, looking down at their clasped hands. "What finally made you say yes?"

Kurt cleared his throat and tried to think of how to answer that question. "Some good advice from a friend," Kurt finally said.

Aaron nodded. "You did _want_ to go out with me though, didn't you?"

Kurt lifted his eyebrows in surprise, thinking about how he hadn't actually wanted to go out when he first started getting ready that evening; he didn't want to say that, but he didn't want to lie either. Instead, he stopped and turned to face him. "Aaron, I had a really good evening and I'm glad we did this."

"Me too," Aaron smiled and then leaned forward, his eyes closing, and Kurt knew what was about to happen. He stopped himself from taking a step backwards, letting Aaron press his lips against his own. Kurt loosened up after a moment and kissed Aaron back, short and sweet. Aaron was a good kisser and Kurt's cheeks felt warm as they walked the rest of the way back to Kurt's place.

That evening, Kurt didn't think of Blaine once, and as he went to get some coffee after school the next day, he still wasn't thinking about Blaine, Aaron and his sweet kiss occupying Kurt's mind. That was, until Kurt walked into the coffee shop and saw Blaine sitting in his regular wingback chair. He glanced up when he saw Kurt, laying his book in his lap and lifting a hand in greeting, a small smile playing on his lips until he dropped his hand and glanced down at his lap seemingly shy. All thoughts of Aaron fled Kurt's mind as he ordered and then walked up to Blaine.

"Hi," Kurt said with a broad smile.

"Hello Kurt," Blaine answered.

Kurt nodded towards Blaine's cup, "Black coffee?"

"No, actually, I added cinnamon today."

"And?"

"And… it's awful." Blaine answered, taking off his reading glasses and looking up at Kurt with a slight sparkle to his eyes. "I think I put in too much? It's like trying to drink a Christmas scented candle."

Kurt laughed at that and then nodded towards the table he usually sat at, "You go get our table and I'll get you more coffee and do it right."

Blaine's eyes widened for a brief moment in surprise before he nodded and started gathering his things. Kurt went and got a drip coffee, putting just a little cinnamon in and joined Blaine at the table. He sat down and his heart did a little flutter when Blaine looked right at him, his golden eyes drawing Kurt in. There was something behind Blaine's eyes that Kurt couldn't read, but they were much more expressive than the rest of his face, softer somehow; Kurt was sure there was more to him than his stoic exterior.

Kurt had to clear his throat and look away when it seemed like Blaine was fine with just leaning on his hand and gazing at him. "So, try the coffee," Kurt said, and Blaine nodded and immediately took a sip, humming as he swallowed.

"Oh this is much better."

Kurt smiled. "That's decided then. I'm in charge of your coffee."

"Thank goodness." Blaine sighed and Kurt bit his lip as his stomach flipped over pleasantly. "I don't want to keep you from your studies," Blaine said, looking at Kurt's book bag.

"I don't have a lot to do. I can get it done later; right now I want you to tell me about yourself Blaine."

Blaine's face, which had began to relax, tensed and he sat up straighter in his chair, looking away from Kurt for the first time.

"Or I can start," Kurt amended easily and Blaine glanced back at him. "I'm Kurt Hummel, Senior at NYADA, that's New York Academy of Dramatic Arts-"

"I know NYADA," Blaine spoke up. "They're very prestigious; they only accept the very best." He lifted his eyebrows, "Which means you must be very good at what you do."

Kurt lifted his chin, not able to stop himself from preening a little bit. "I didn't get in the first time I auditioned… but they came to their senses eventually."

"And you've survived to your Senior year, so very, _very_ good at what you do. What's your specialty?"

Kurt smiled at Blaine's interest. "I sing, that's my first love. But of course acting and theater. I also have done some costume design which is a lot of fun."

Blaine smiled at that and Kurt leaned forward; Blaine's smiles were rare and small, but so lovely, that Kurt decided his new game when spending time with Blaine was to try to get him to smile as much as possible.

"And when you graduate, what is your plan?"

"I have a side business making costume accessories, but after graduation, I have a part in an off-Broadway play lined up."

Blaine sat up and leaned on his hand again, looking at Kurt with concentration, his gaze was so steady and his lips tipped in an almost smile and when Kurt met his eyes he would have sworn a slight blush blossomed on Blaine's cheeks. It was moments like these where he caught Blaine looking at him like that where Kurt wondered if there was a chance Blaine could possibly have fluttery little feeling for Kurt the way Kurt did for him. That was probably wishful thinking though. "What play?" Blaine asked and Kurt had to break eye contact for a moment to be able to till clearly enough to answer.

Kurt shook his head. "Nope, your turn. Tell me something about you."

Blaine's eyebrows furrowed.

"Just… anything," Kurt prodded; he didn't want to make Blaine uncomfortable, but he did want to know more about him. "Are you in school?"

"No." Blaine shook his head.

"Okay… what do you do then?"

"I work for myself," Blaine answered, and he didn't seem to plan on saying more. Kurt didn't let him off the hook he sat quietly waiting for Blaine to continue. "I specialize in import and export," Blaine finally added.

It was Kurt's turn to look surprised, "Isn't that what crime lords and drug dealers say?"

"Yes." Blaine nodded seriously. "I import and export drugs and guns."

Kurt felt his heart rate speed up until he noticed the corners of Blaine's lips twitch like he was suppressing a smile. "You're messing with me."

"I deal with rare artifacts mostly," Blaine said with a true smile and a little laugh, and, god when Blaine really smiled, it was almost blinding. "For private collectors. Nothing as nefarious as drug dealing." He winked and Kurt had to remind himself to take a breath.

"That sounds." Kurt cleared his throat. "That sounds really interesting actually."

"Sometimes." Blaine shrugged, "It is a lot of negotiating and searching for things that you may or may not find."

"How'd you get into that?"

Blaine stiffened a little bit, the movement so small that Kurt only noticed because he was watching him so closely; Kurt was already learning that Blaine said as much with his body as he did with his words. Kurt read this as an indication that he'd asked something Blaine didn't want to answer, so he was surprised when Blaine continued.

"I was looking for something, an artifact I wanted myself, and found I was good at bargaining with people and trading and… you do have to get creative sometimes with how you _import and export_." He smiled again, and Kurt returned his smile, encouraging him to go on. "I liked it and it was a way to make money and not have to work an 8 to 5." He leaned back in his chair, starting to look relaxed.

"Did you find what you were looking for?"

Blaine's eyes glanced away from Kurt momentarily. "No, not yet," he answered shortly and then looked back. "What play are you going to be in?"

Kurt took a sip of his mocha and decided that he really enjoyed Blaine, as cryptic as he may want to appear. He'd happily tell Blaine about his play if he thought it would keep Blaine talking, and keep him smiling.

* * *

Mercedes plopped down on Kurt's couch as he brought in glasses of wine for them both. "So how are things with your boy?" She asked as Kurt handed her a glass.

Kurt's eyes widened in surprise, he didn't know that Mercedes knew anything about Blaine, he hadn't mentioned him again since the time Blaine had been so stand-offish towards him. "I…" Kurt tried not to let a telling smile cover his face, "I wouldn't call him ' _my boy_."

"Oh my god Kurt! You're blushing. You must really like him."

Kurt sighed and leaned back on the couch, taking a sip of his merlot and letting it fill him with warmth, "He isn't what I thought he was, I think under his hard… or not hard, just complex, his complex exterior he really is a sweet guy."

"Aaron?" Mercedes asked in confusion, sitting up. "I didn't know he had a hard or complex outer shell."

Kurt stared at her for a moment as his mind caught up to this conversation. Mercedes hadn't been asking about Blaine at all, of course she wasn't, she was asking about the guy Kurt had been out with twice and was seeing again tomorrow. Oh god, Kurt had literally forgotten all about Aaron.

Mercedes narrowed her eyes and looked at Kurt in a way that made him worried she might actually be able to read his thoughts. "Who are _you_ talking about here?"

" _Aaron_?" Kurt answered weakly and Mercedes picked up a pillow from the couch and smacked Kurt's shoulder with it, almost making him spill his wine. Kurt put his glass down on the coffee table for safe-keeping in case Mercedes felt like another pillow smack was needed. "Um… I might have had coffee with Blaine the past couple of days."

"What?" Mercedes scooted closer to him on the couch and Kurt kept an eye on the pillow still in her hand. "You mean the guy who shot you down when you tried to buy him a coffee. They guy you kept ranting about how rude he was the other night? _That_ Blaine?"

Kurt shrugged. "He apologized for that, and you were the one that said maybe he was a good guy but wasn't used to people being nice to him and… I think you're right. In any case, I'd be getting coffee at _Aroma Mocha_ anyway, so if he happens to be there too, and happens to sit with me…" Kurt trailed off, thinking about his conversation with Blaine that afternoon; he found that Blaine could actually get fairly animated if you kept the conversation light. They talked about Kurt's play and school and shows they both liked and music. Blaine seemed to love music. It was only when Kurt asked questions about him that Blaine seemed to recoil back into himself, but he still answered some of the questions.

Blaine was a mystery, shy and bold at the same time, sober one moment and then hiding his smile behind his coffee cup the next. He was an eager listener, his eyes lighting up when Kurt talked about his stage work, and he really did seem to be sweet. At one point, he got up and helped a woman and her elderly mother who was in a wheel chair get out the front door and then sat back down again like nothing had happened. The thing was that Kurt would be happy to help people in those situations too; he just hadn't noticed them whereas Blaine seemed to always be on the lookout for ways he could do something for someone else.

It made Blaine's reaction from that first time Kurt had tried to buy him coffee all the more confusing, but he was a puzzle Kurt was determined to crack.

"Wow," Mercedes said, and Kurt looked back at her, realizing he'd gotten lost in his own thoughts. "You are just sitting there smiling and thinking about him aren't you?"

Kurt sighed and leaned his head back on the couch, looking up at the ceiling and running his hand through his hair. "And I have another date with Aaron tomorrow. I don't know what to do… I mean, I like Aaron, he's fun and… we kissed." Kurt sat up and looked at his friend, but Mercedes's expression was unreadable. "Aaron is a nice guy, and it isn't like I'm _dating_ Blaine; we just have coffee together and I don't even know if he's interested."

"Right…" Mercedes said and pursed her lips thinking for a moment. "So you're saying you want to date them both?"

"No! I'm _not_ dating Blaine."

"Do you want to date Aaron at all though?"

"Yes? I think so?" Kurt answered.

"Oh yeah, that was convincing."

"I think I need to go out with Aaron tomorrow at least. I want there to be a spark you know?"

"You can't force chemistry,"

"You told me to give a guy I knew a shot!" Kurt said, frustrated. "That's what I'm doing."

"Well good. In the meantime, maybe you should ask Blaine out, because there seems to be chemistry there already."

Kurt reached for his wine and took a deep gulp and Mercedes laughed. "Sorry, I am trying to help, you just have guys all over you these days." She smirked. "Just watch out for Blaine; if he is a jerk again I'm not sure you should let him off the hook a second time."

Kurt smiled; again finding it hard not to smile when thinking of Blaine. "Yeah, I'll be careful," he said, and then changed the subject to Tank, knowing Mercedes would take any opportunity to talk about her new boyfriend. Tomorrow, Kurt was going out with Aaron again, but also hopefully meeting Blaine at the coffee shop too.


	5. Chapter 4

**AN: Hello Klainers! I'm a little under the weather this weekend but I wanted to post a chapter for you because you all make me happy and inspire me to write. I hope you enjoy this chapter and as always comments are a beautiful thing.  
And hugs to theatrevicki the best beta a gal could ever hope for. **

**Thanks!**

* * *

Blaine lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling and waiting for his alarm to go off. He tilted his head, finding images in the fibers of the ceiling paint, a face, a castle…

A monster.

Blaine shut his eyes to rid his mind of the images of a fanged creature staring down at him; his alarm clock went off, and even though he'd been waiting for it, it made his heart rate spike as he sat straight up in bed and slammed his palm on the alarm to shut it up. He'd been having nightmares again, worse than usual, his mind dredging up the most evil of his memories, red eyes glaring at him in the dark and screams of pain.

Blaine got up from his bed, swallowing deeply, and walked over to the mirror that hung above his dresser. He moved it to the side to reveal the safe in the wall and worked the combination until it opened. Inside, was the source of his nightmares; they'd gotten worse since he traded Felix for this vial. He pulled it out and held it in his hand for a moment, the heat inside warming him a little, but still making him shiver. He put the vial down on his dresser top and went to get ready for the day.

He'd had the vial for a few weeks now but hadn't done anything with it. He told himself that it was because he didn't have everything he needed for the ritual yet, which was true. It was also true that Blaine hadn't been trying very hard to get what he needed. That changed today, though; he had an appointment late that afternoon to get the piece he needed in order to finally use the heartstone remains. He should be excited, elated even, but he couldn't muster it.

Mostly he felt… worried. Worried about what he would find out, worried about where the new information he gained would lead him. Away from New York? Towards facing the truths that have been chasing him most of his life? _Away from Kurt?_ The thought of Kurt surprised him and he pinched the bridge of his nose trying to concentrate. He chided himself; he couldn't give up on what he'd been working towards almost his whole life just because of a pretty boy with a pretty smile that made Blaine feel… made Blaine _feel_ for the first time in too long.

Blaine stared at the clothes hanging in his closet while wearing only the jeans he'd slipped on after his shower. He never thought much about what he wore, but today he wanted to look nice, at least as nice as he could; he was probably seeing Kurt this afternoon and he didn't know when he'd see him again after the ritual. Blaine sighed; all of his clothes were various shades of black and gray and when did he become so boring? He ended up picking out a sweater that could conceivably be considered navy, layered with a crisp gray button up underneath, and resigned himself to looking as put together as he could.

On his way out, he grabbed the vial and stuck it in his coat pocket. He wasn't foolish enough to leave it behind. He kept it in the safe at night and on his person at all other times. He may hate what it was and what it represented, but he knew he needed it. It felt heavy in his pocket, like it was dragging his whole body down. The more Blaine thought about it, the more he wasn't sure he should even meet up with Kurt today; wouldn't it be better just to fade from Kurt's life like he'd never been there? That thought made his chest unexpectedly tight.

Kurt was the first friend he'd allowed himself in some time, he wasn't sure why'd he'd made the exception for Kurt, but he had. He considered Kurt a friend and the thought of him warmed Blaine's cold world. If he'd been someone else maybe he'd let himself have more than friendship with Kurt. He was smart, and attractive and inconceivably patient with Blaine. Still, it was a moot point now, now that Blaine was going to perform this ritual life was going to change. It had to.

He'd have one last cup of cinnamon coffee with Kurt and then close that chapter of his life. He could do that. Blaine gulped as the cold wind picked-up outside. He could do that, right?

* * *

Kurt was gathering his things after class and putting them in his book bag when Ms. Pole called his name; she walked past the other students heading out of the classroom to meet him. "Will you stay behind for a moment? I would like to speak with you."

Kurt noticed a classmate give him a sympathetic look as he passed, but Kurt just glanced back at Ms. Pole and smiled. "Of course."

She waited until all the other students had left the room before she continued. "Kurt, you know I've been teaching here for many years… many more years than a woman my age would like to admit." She smiled and Kurt smiled back at her. He wasn't sure what this was about, but Ms. Pole liked him, he knew he wasn't in trouble. Hopefully.

"And in all my years of teaching I can remember by name the students that really stuck out to me, the ones I knew had a true sense of artistry."

Kurt nodded to show he was listening, though he still was nervous about where this was going.

"I'm rarely wrong about a student's potential, Kurt, and I have to tell you, I see so much potential in you."

Kurt signed in relief, this was going well. "Thank you."

"There's a party coming up, a ball actually, in a couple weeks. It's a great place to meet and mingle with other professionals in the theater community-"

"You mean the Broadway Ball?" Kurt couldn't help but interrupt in his excitement. He knew about the Broadway League's Annual Masquerade, that most everyone just called the Broadway Ball, it was an event attended by the city's most elite thespians, directors, producers and other experts involved in the theater arts.

Ms. Pole look pleased, "Yes that's the one. I'm very excited to be on the planning committee for the event this year."

"What an honor," Kurt said, readjusting his book bag on his shoulder.

"Oh yes yes." Ms. Pole answered, waving off his praise. "But this isn't about me. Every year, NYADA sends a select few of their students to the ball as an introduction to the kinds of people they will hopefully be working with in the near future."

Kurt swallowed, his eyes growing wide as he nodded along.

"And I was hoping you'd like to attend this year."

"Yes!" Kurt answered, hardly giving the words time to leave her lips. "I mean… I would love to."

Ms. Pole laughed, "I love your enthusiasm. I'll mark you down then." She turned back to her desk, withdrawing a black and gold envelope from the drawer. "Here is your official invitation, you'll need it to get in, and of course you must bring a plus-one."

"Thank you! Thank you so much."

"It is still a few weeks off so hopefully that gives you enough time to find something marvelous to wear."

Kurt clutched the envelope in his hands and bounced on the balls of his feet in excitement. "I'm sure it is."

"Do you have a young gentleman friend you think you might invite?"

Kurt's mind immediately flashed to an image of Blaine sitting across from him at the coffee shop solemnly sipping his coffee. Only after that thought did an image of Aaron's laughing face come up. "I… I'm sure I'll find someone."

"Excellent." Ms. Pole clapped her hands together. "Now hurry along, I don't want to be the reason you're late to your next class."

Kurt thanked her again before dashing out the door with a skip in his step. This was such a huge opportunity and Kurt couldn't believe he was actually holding one of the coveted invitations to this year's Broadway Ball. His immediate thought was to call Rachel, she would be so excited and maybe even a little envious that Kurt actually got to attend the ball, since it was something they had talked about in the past. He knew her filming schedule, though, and she wouldn't answer a phone call right now. His next thought, _of course because apparently he couldn't stop thinking of him_ , was to call Blaine.

Blaine might not have ever heard of the Broadway League or its annual ball, but Kurt was sure he'd be excited for him. The trouble there was that Kurt didn't even have Blaine's number. He'd hopefully see him that afternoon at the coffee shop, though, and maybe if he felt gutsy enough he'd ask for Blaine's phone number; it was time to make Blaine more than just a coffee shop friend. The thought made Kurt feel a little giddy.

After classes that day, Kurt hurried to _Aroma Mocha_ and got there a little earlier than usual. He ordered his mocha and Blaine's black coffee, stirring in some cinnamon before sitting down at their table and waiting for Blaine. It was a regular thing for them. Whoever got there first would save the table and order the other's coffee, and then no matter who got there first, Kurt would put the cinnamon in Blaine's otherwise plain coffee (since Blaine never could get the ratio right) and then they'd sit and talk for hours.

Kurt had started setting an alarm on his phone to remind him that he couldn't actually sit there all evening, that he did have other responsibilities. It was just that spending time with Blaine was so easy and natural. Blaine still wasn't always very open about himself, but he was warming up more and more and was always happy to talk about his interests and places he'd been. Apparently, his job required a lot of travel and Kurt clung to these subjects that Blaine didn't seem to mind discussing.

Kurt opened a sketch book as he waited and started working on some costume accessories that he was going to put up on his popular Etsy page, but it didn't take long for his sketches to start taking a different direction altogether.

Kurt barely even realized what he was sketching until his barista friend walked up to his table, "Is he standing you up?"

Kurt glanced up and lifted an eyebrow.

"Isn't Mr. Gloomy usually here by now?"

"Blaine isn't gloomy," Kurt answered. She still hadn't forgiven Blaine for that time he snubbed Kurt; it was sweet of her, but at the same time, Kurt wished people could see what he saw in Blaine, that he was so much more than his seemingly melancholy exterior.

"Uh huh, and the two of you are getting close, is that why you have sketches of him all over your book?"

Kurt looked down to see he'd filled nearly two full pages with drawings of Blaine. Blaine sitting in his wingback chair reading, Blaine laughing and looking down shyly. Blaine in a nice fitted peacoat that showed off his broad shoulders. Kurt blushed a little and cleared his throat. "I… um…"

"What's that?" She pointed to the bottom corner of one of the pages and Kurt furrowed his brow looking at the strange creature he'd sketched there, matted fur, dripping fangs, what almost looked like spikes coming from its back and eyes that would be red if Kurt had colored pencils on him. He knew he'd _just_ drawn it, but he had no idea what it was or why he would have such a gruesome looking creature in his head. "I don't actually know."

"So you really think Mr. Gloomy deserves a second chance then?" She asked, glancing up from the book. And Kurt couldn't help but smile.

"I really think he does."

She sighed and shook her head, " _Boys_ ," before walking away.

Kurt watched her go until his eyes landed on Blaine right outside the café's doors. A smile immediately graced Kurt's face but then it scrunched up into confused amusement as he watched him. Blaine walked almost all the way up to the door of the coffee shop and then turned and walked a few steps away. He did this several times before he just stood at the corner outside of the shop, his hand stuffed into the pockets of his jacket, as he looked down at the ground.

What was he doing?

Kurt got up from the table and then walked outside, the little bell on the door chiming behind him. Blaine was a few feet away playing with something in his pockets. He'd take it out, hold it in his hand for a moment, and then deposit it in his other pocket before nervously repeating the process. Kurt couldn't see what the object was, but that didn't seem to be the point. Blaine was clearly upset about something.

"Hey, Blaine," Kurt called softly but Blaine still started in surprise as he lifted his face to him. "Are you going to just stand out here in the cold or are you coming in?" Kurt smiled and tried to keep his tone light and teasing. Blaine was looking at him with wide eyes and a tight expression; he seemed jumpy enough to sprint off like a scared animal.

"I… um…" Blaine glanced down at whatever was in his hand before pocketing it and looking back up at Kurt. "I don't know if I have time for coffee today."

"Oh." Kurt cleared his throat to give himself a moment to think before answering. Blaine had been acting strangely for the past week, more reserved like the way he'd been when they first met. It made getting to know Blaine feel like taking two steps forward and one step back.

Kurt just wished Blaine would tell him what was going on. They were close enough for that; if something was bothering Blaine didn't he know he could just say it?

"Well… I have your coffee," Kurt said, taking a step closer as people passed them on the busy sidewalk. "You could at least grab it and take it with you and we could meet up some other time." Kurt was trying to not let his disappointment show; obviously, Blaine was under no obligation to _always_ have coffee with him.

Blaine blinked at him a few times before a small shy smile spread across his face, it made Kurt's heart beat double time. "I guess if you've already ordered I could sit down for a little while." His voice was soft and warm, but hesitant.

Kurt smiled back at him and was hit by a sudden realization. All those times where it seemed like Blaine was cold or closed off, the times he shut down and wouldn't talk about certain topics, or how rude Blaine seemed when Kurt first met him, was it possible that he was just shy? Or scared? Maybe talking to people made him nervous.

There was something so open and yet vulnerable and timid about Blaine's face right now that it cast their whole friendship in a new light. Suddenly, Kurt felt exceedingly grateful and lucky that Blaine had opened up to him, allowed Kurt to be part of his life, even if it was just for coffee dates. That was a good foundation to build on, and it seemed like for Blaine maybe it was a big leap of faith to let someone in.

Kurt couldn't stop himself from reaching out for Blaine's hand, Blaine looked down at his outstretched hand for a moment before pulling his own out of his pocket and clasping Kurt's. Kurt shivered a little at the soft press of his skin and then tugged him towards the coffee shop doors. "Well, let's get you warmed up at least before we send you on your way."

Blaine followed him without a word.

Kurt sat at the table and quickly flipped the page on his sketch book before Blaine could see his own face looking up at him from the pages.

Blaine just looked down at his coffee as if he'd forgotten where he was, his eyes seemed a little red rimmed and Kurt couldn't tell if that was from the cold wind outside or if Blaine was near tears. Kurt swallowed a sympathetic lump in his throat, hoping it was just the wind and not tears, as the thought of Blaine crying suddenly made Kurt feel like crying himself.

"Are you okay, Blaine?" Kurt asked softly, his hand on the table unconsciously scooting it closer to Blaine, as if wanting to take Blaine's hand. They were back in his pockets though.

Blaine looked up at him quietly before smiling and the furrow in his brow started to ease. "I'm alright," he said, and Kurt just studied him for a moment. "Really, Kurt, I just… I have a lot on my mind. And I really need some coffee." He took his hands out of his pockets and Kurt saw a shiver run down his body before he closed his eyes and took a long sip of the coffee Kurt had ordered him. He hummed a little in contentment and Kurt smiled, feeling his cheeks blush.

Blaine was gorgeous, his tan skin flushed with the cold and his long dark eyelashes fluttering closed as he enjoyed his coffee. He pulled the cup away and Kurt found himself staring at Blaine's plump pink lips and leaning forward a little (as if to kiss him) before he shook himself out of the trance-like way he'd been staring at Blaine.

"What's on your mind?" Kurt asked and Blaine smiled.

"Work. Always work. I… am close to finding… well, finding that thing that started me in this business in the first place."

"That's great news isn't it?" Kurt said, hoping this meant Blaine would open up a little more and tell him what was going on.

Blaine leaned back in his chair and licked his lips and Kurt forced himself to look away, taking a sip of his own drink to distract himself. "It is good news, it is also kind of intimidating."

"Intimidating?"

"I've been looking for it for so long and now to be so close, it's a strange feeling."

"Anticipation can be that way," Kurt said with a nod, watching Blaine closely.

"If you don't mind, could we talk about something other than my work today?" Blaine asked softly, and god did he look lovely with his dark eyelashes fanning his face and a navy sweater on that made his tan skin stand out.

"Of course." Kurt leaned forward, this was his chance. "I was wanting to ask you something anyway." Kurt bit his lip and then reached in his bag for his phone. "I think it is high-time we have each other's phone numbers, don't you?" Kurt still wanted to ask Blaine to the ball, but this didn't seem like the right time. Baby steps.

Blaine smiled brightly like Kurt's request completely surprised him. "You want my number?" He winked and Kurt's heart did a little flip-flop. "Are you trying to pick me up?"

 _Yes_. Kurt wanted to say, but he refrained. "I guess I just think it would be nice to do other things with you, besides getting coffee. And honestly, sometimes something will happen during the day and I think you'll think it is funny and it would be nice to be able to shoot you a text." Kurt let out a nervous breath; that was a little more than he had meant to say. Blaine was still smiling though so he hadn't scared him off.

Blaine reached for Kurt's phone and started putting in his number and Kurt only barely stopped himself from kicking his feet under the table in excitement. "I change numbers frequently," Blaine said as he passed Kurt's phone back. "But that's the number I have now and when it changes I can let you know."

Kurt sent Blaine a quick text that consisted of nothing more than a smiley face so Blaine would have his number too. "Why do you change numbers often? Are you using burner phones?" Kurt teased but when Blaine didn't answer Kurt's smile dropped. "Oh… you are."

Blaine shrugged again.

"Someday, I am going to find out you're actually a spy or a secret agent aren't I?" Kurt teased.

Blaine just shook his head, "I'm not nearly that interesting." He was smiling more now though and didn't seem as distracted so Kurt counted that as a win.

"Well, you know as long as you keep so much of yourself a mystery, I'm going to keep coming up with more and more fanciful theories."

As soon as the words left Kurt's lips, he regretted them; he was just trying to tease Blaine, but Blaine's face fell and he looked back down at his coffee cup. Kurt bit his lip nervously and tried to come up with something to lighten things up again, but Blaine changed the subject for them.

"What put you in such a good mood today?" Blaine asked with a small smile and Kurt squirmed in his chair a little in excitement.

"Who says I'm in a good mood?"

"You can hardly sit still, Kurt."

"A teacher was able to get me an invitation to this really exclusive Broadway Ball," Kurt burst out. Blaine was right, he was in a good mood and he'd been dying to tell someone.

"A ball?"

"I know, it sounds cheesy, it's a big elegant ball and all the who's-who of the New York theater world will be there, it's a big deal for me, just some student, to get to go."

"That doesn't sound cheesy, that sounds amazing." Blaine smiled and leaned forward, his eyes dancing with excitement for Kurt. "And you are obviously not _just_ some student if you get to go."

Kurt blushed and looked away for a moment before he felt Blaine's cool hand covering his own. Kurt looked back up and was struck with the lovely sight of Blaine looking him in the eye and smiling. "Really, Kurt, this seems huge. Congratulations."

Kurt let out a laugh that he hoped didn't sound too much like a giggle and cleared his throat before launching into how he needed to find exactly what he wanted to wear to the Broadway Ball, and how he hoped he didn't embarrass himself in front of his idols, and Blaine listened with eager attention to all of it.

Kurt kept the conversation mostly on the upcoming ball and other light-hearted topics that afternoon since Blaine seemed a little tense and he noticed how Blaine's shoulders seemed to relax as the time went on and the tightness around his eyes smoothed out. He wasn't sure what was going on with Blaine, but if he was able to help him feel better even a little bit, it meant everything to Kurt. He was trying to decide if he should ask Blaine to the ball today or give it a little time, since he didn't want to scare him off, when he was surprised by a warm hand on his shoulder.

"Kurt!"

Both he and Blaine looked up to see Aaron standing next to Kurt, his hand on his shoulder and a wide smile on his face.

Kurt's stomach dropped.

"How fun to run into you like this," Aaron said, "I've never been to this little shop, is it any good?"

Kurt cleared his throat and stole a glance at Blaine before answering. "I like it."

"I'll have to start coming then, it isn't far from NYADA."

Blaine stood before Kurt had time to process Aaron and Blaine being in the same place at the same time. It wasn't right, they were two very separate parts of Kurt's life.

"I'm Blaine," he introduced and held out his hand.

Aaron shook it warmly. "I'm Aaron. Kurt's boyfriend."

Time seemed to stop for a moment as Kurt watched Aaron hold Blaine's hand a bit too long and Blaine seemed to stiffen for a moment before he smiled the most insincere smile Kurt had ever seen on his face. "It's a pleasure to meet you, please pull up a chair and join us."

 _No no no no._ Kurt thought. _Don't do that._

Of course, Aaron immediately accepted the offer and was soon sitting at the table with them. Their table. Kurt and Blaine's table. And _oh god_ , Kurt had made a mistake. He shouldn't be going out with Aaron, not when he felt the way he did about Blaine. Having them both here together made Kurt's sentiments on the matter acutely clear. He didn't want anything Aaron did to mess things up with Blaine, and now here he was meeting Blaine and introducing himself as his _boyfriend_. Everything inside Kurt wanted to blurt out, _He's not my boyfriend!_

"So how do you and Kurt know each other?" Aaron asked pleasantly, but he sat down very close to Kurt and immediately put his hand on Kurt's knee. His face and voice may have been casual but he was clearly trying to make a statement. Kurt didn't know what to do about it, he _was_ going out with Aaron even if right now he regretted that he hadn't broken up with him already.

"We don't really know each other that well," Blaine answered and Kurt's heart sunk. "We just have coffee together."

 _We just have coffee together._

Kurt chewed on his lip, wanting to protest and say something about how these times with Blaine were so much more than that to him, but he felt stuck with Aaron sitting right there. His hand still on Kurt's leg.

"That's nice," Aaron said and leaned closer to Kurt as Kurt felt his cheeks grow warm at how predatory Aaron was acting. He felt stupid for not knowing how to make right everything that was going wrong in this moment. "Oh, Kurt!" Aaron said, looking at him and squeezing his knee, "I heard Ms. Pole gave you an invitation for the Broadway Ball."

Kurt smiled tightly and glanced at Blaine who was looking down at his cup of coffee. Of course Aaron knew about that-gossip at NYADA traveled fast.

"Yes, she did, I was pleasantly surprised," Kurt said, barely even looking at Aaron, while trying to make eye-contact with Blaine.

"I guess that makes me double lucky then. My boyfriend is a staff pick, plus I get to go to the Broadway Ball with him."

Blaine looked up briefly from his coffee at that, first at Aaron's face and then at Kurt's before his eyes shifted away again. Kurt just sat there with his mouth open like a fish out-of-water. He'd never called Aaron his boyfriend before and here Aaron had said the word twice, plus Kurt _hadn't_ asked Aaron to go to the ball with him and Aaron was acting like going together was a given.

"The Broadway Ball is a theater thing," Aaron continued, turning to Blaine as Kurt sat there still stunned about how far away from what he wanted this afternoon was going. "You probably don't know about-"

"The name gives it away," Blaine interrupted him with a tight smile. "And I can see that it is an honor for Kurt." He said turning to Kurt. "He deserves it." His face softened a little bit, and as uncomfortable as all of this seemed to be making him, he graced Kurt with a small genuine smile.

"Aaron and I hadn't actually discussed… um…" Kurt licked his lips nervously; he couldn't just sit here and break-up with Aaron while Blaine was watching. Aaron didn't deserve that, but he shouldn't have just assumed he was going with Kurt to the ball either.

Blaine abruptly stood from the table, his face serious again. "I should be going, I didn't have much time today anyway."

"Right… I… yeah." Kurt sighed, realizing that there was no way to salvage this right now. Aaron smiled at Blaine as he left and Kurt watched him forlornly until he got to the door. "Aaron, I just need to…" Kurt stood from the table. "I'll be right back." Kurt rushed away before Aaron could say anything and followed Blaine outside.

"Blaine!"

Blaine turned around a few feet ahead of him, holding his coat tightly around his chest and waiting for Kurt to catch up.

"I'm sorry about that. I didn't expect Aaron," Kurt said nervously, wishing Blaine's face would tell him something, it could be so open and expressive sometimes, but right now Blaine's face was like a steel mask, showing him nothing.

"You have a boyfriend," Blaine said simply, and was Kurt imagining the distress in that statement?

"I… I mean… we go out." Kurt winced at his weak answer.

"In all the times we've talked and had coffee together you never mentioned him."

"I know," Kurt said, his shoulders slumping as he ran his hand across his forehead. "I just… I don't know what I was doing."

"He seems nice." Blaine looked away for a moment, letting out a long breath that circled like smoke in the cold air before looking back to Kurt again. "I really do have to go."

"I'll see you tomorrow?" Kurt asked hopefully, shivering a little, he'd left his jacket inside, but Blaine just shrugged. " _Please,_ Blaine, I'd like a chance to explain."

"I may be going out of town, but either way, you have _nothing_ that you need to explain to me." The reply was abrupt and made Kurt wince.

"Blaine-"

Blaine just shook his head. "It's cold." He reached out and lightly placed his hand on Kurt's arm. "And you're shivering, you should head back in and I do have to go." He let his hand drop and turned and walked away leaving Kurt to kick himself for making such a mess of everything.

* * *

Blaine stuck his hands deep into his pockets and looked at the ground as he made his way down the crowded sidewalk and away from Kurt. Kurt and his boyfriend. Because of course Kurt had a boyfriend. An attractive, gregarious boyfriend, who smiled a lot, and was part of the theater world, and could rest his hand on Kurt's leg whenever he wanted to. Of course.

Kurt was kind and gorgeous and funny and full of life, of course someone like him already had a boyfriend. And why did it matter anyway? Blaine didn't feel that way about Kurt. He couldn't. Kurt was his friend, and now Blaine was putting too much worth on that relationship.

Blaine's hand closed around his phone in his pocket. Except Kurt had wanted Blaine's phone number so they could get together outside of _Aroma Mocha_. And Kurt had admitted that he thought about Blaine during the day, he wanted to send Blaine texts when funny things happened to him. That thought made a warm feeling bloom in Blaine's chest.

Blaine had given Kurt his phone number when just that morning he'd planned on this being the last time he saw Kurt. Kurt wanted Blaine to be part of his life, and that was an offer that Blaine had found impossible to turn down. Because… because maybe he did see Kurt as more than a friend, maybe he'd let his feelings go unchecked. Maybe the thought of being something more than a friend to someone as good and special as Kurt made Blaine's heart flutter in his chest.

Blaine stomped that hope down as fast as he could. Kurt wasn't part of his world and was much too good for him, Blaine should have never let himself get this close. He grimaced and squeezed his phone. There was no way he was as important to Kurt as Kurt was beginning to be to him.

Blaine stopped walking as his hand brushed across the other object he had in his pocket, the glass vial radiating warmth from the inside out. He withdrew the vial and stared down at it, the red liquid reflecting warm light on his cold hand. He'd been delaying using the heartstone remains, nervous about what he would find out – but he'd put it off for too long. If anything, meeting Kurt's boyfriend had reminded him that Blaine wasn't like other people, and he needed to move forward with his plans.

Blaine stuck the vial back in his pocket and jumped a little as his phone buzzed. He pulled it out to see a text message from Kurt.

Kurt: _I'm really sorry our time got cut short today. I hope you know how much I enjoy our coffee dates. :)_

Blaine sighed and closed his eyes, his heart beating faster than normal. _Our coffee dates_. Blaine smiled a little even as his heart felt constricted.

He didn't text Kurt back, he wasn't sure what his life was going to look like after what he was going to do today. Instead, he arrived for his rendezvous just in time, standing on the subway platform with a brown paper bag in his hand, waiting until a tall man in a green flatcap stood next to him with an identical brown paper bag; in the hustle and bustle of the train station, they switched belongings.

Blaine shrugged off his coat when he got home that evening, looking around his large and mostly bare apartment, and realized for the first time, how much this place didn't feel like a home. Blaine hadn't had a home for so long, so he wasn't sure what it was meant to feel like, but he knew it wasn't this.

Blaine retreated to his bedroom and drew the drapes closed before sitting down on the chilly floor. Now that he had everything he needed for the ritual, it was time for Blaine to find some answers. He held the vial in his hand and a dark cold feeling twisted in his stomach as he wondered again who died for him to have this. And how long ago: months, years, decades? What if it had been someone he knew… what if it had been-

Blaine shivered and choked back some tears, it didn't matter whose heartstone this had once been, there was nothing he could do for whoever they were now. All Blaine could do was what he'd always done; try to save himself.

Blaine pulled a shallow copper bowl out of the paper bag he'd traded for and let his fingers trace the ancient writing that was etched around the rim. He knew this language, but chose not to spend too much time reading the script; these things were always cryptic and somewhat violent and Blaine already knew what he needed to do.

He closed his eyes and tried to concentrate, meditating to clear his mind of all distractions and pushing the smiling face of Kurt away several times before he felt clear-headed enough to proceed. His hands were shaking as he uncorked the vial, after all these years was he finally going to have a lead? Was he actually going to be able to find the piece of him that was missing? Blaine slowly poured the vial's contents into the bowl and a slight humming sound filled the room as the red clear liquid sloshed around vibrating the copper.

Blaine drew a deep breath, this was it. Kurt's face flashed in his mind, but he pushed that away; he couldn't have any distractions right now. The liquid started to shine brighter and brighter until the whole room was filled with its grisly crimson glow. Blaine closed his eyes and then lifted the bowl to his lips, quickly drinking the red liquid inside. It tasted like soil, bitter, like centuries of minerals as it slid down his throat; it burned a little too, and soon Blaine was coughing and sputtering as he dropped the empty copper bowl and it clanged and bounced against the ground.

Blaine took in a shallow, ragged breath, which only started another coughing fit, as he felt the remains of the heartstone flow through his body making him warm from head to toe. And then it wasn't warm but hot, and he was burning up. Blaine coughed again and clutched at his heart. It hurt, his chest hurt, and his heart ached and felt near bursting, and then with another shaky breath, Blaine fell over backwards, curling up on himself as his body shook.

Was this meant to hurt so much? Blaine let out a shout of pain he knew his neighbors would just ignore and then everything grew still and quiet, and even with his eyes open, all Blaine could see was black, until a pair of vivid blue eyes filled his mind and he saw a wide smile and a long pale neck and he heard a sweet, caring voice.

Blaine passed out, splayed out on his cold floor, with visions of Kurt behind his eyes.


	6. Chapter 5

**AN: Hello all! I meant to post yesterday but my day filled up fast. I did get to see Dracula the ballet though, which made me want to writer a Dracula Klaine AU -which I'm not doing, I'm just saying, that'd be awesome. Anyway! Thank you all for sticking with me and this story I hope you enjoy this next part and just FYI I always love hearing from you! :)**

 **PS**

 **Have I mentioned recently how wonderful my beta theatrevicki is? Because she _rocks_!**

* * *

When Kurt got home that evening he lazily left his book bag by the front door and then plopped down on his couch. For how wonderfully he'd started the afternoon, getting an invitation to the Broadway Ball, things had certainly taken a turn for the worst. After Blaine had left _Aroma Mocha_ Kurt had gone back into the coffee shop to confront Aaron. Aaron was already on his way out though.

"Sorry, Kurt, I have to run. We'll catch up later?"

"Actually I need to talk to you."

Aaron drove in to give Kurt a peck on the cheek, but Kurt took a step backwards. Aaron gave him a look but then continued on. "Sorry, babe, I'm going to be late for study group. Whatever we need to talk about can wait, right?"

Kurt had opened his mouth to reply, but Aaron didn't wait. Kurt watched him hurry away and wondered if Aaron could sense what was coming. Kurt hated breaking up with people, but Aaron's behavior that afternoon was going to make it easier.

Kurt only stayed seated for a moment before the bag by the front door starting bothering him and he had to get up to put it where it belonged. Kurt's apartment was a small studio, one room that served as bedroom, living room and sewing room. A small kitchen, bathroom and a walk-in closet that Kurt was endlessly grateful for.

The small space was almost more than he could afford in the city, but it was cozy and Kurt had added his own flare to decorating the space. He cleaned when he was nervous so he wasn't surprised that he started tidying up, thinking about Blaine hurrying away from him that afternoon and the unanswered text he'd sent him. What must Blaine think of Kurt having a boyfriend that he never even told Blaine about? He wouldn't have a boyfriend for long though. Kurt was going to fix this.

He was stacking some sketches on his desk when he heard a slight thumping noise from behind him. He looked up quickly at the door as the thumping paused and then started again. He walked to the peep hole and looked out to see an empty hallway. Maybe it was someone knocking on a neighbor's door.

He went back to cleaning off his desk when he heard the noise again, a rhythmic thumping like his next door neighbor was playing music with a heavy bass beat, except it sounded like it was coming from the right side of the room and there was no neighbor on that side. He put his stack of drawings down and walked to that side of his room, listening intently. There was definitely a sound, and it seemed to be coming from the closet.

Kurt opened the door to his walk-in closet and stood inside for a moment just listening, _thump, thump, thump._ Kurt swallowed his nerves, he did _not_ like that a strange noise was coming from his closet and, _oh god_ if he had mice he was going to scream. Kurt looked up to the shelf above his hanging clothes and saw an old hat box sitting there; he probably hadn't looked in that box since he'd moved into his tiny studio apartment a year and a half ago, or maybe longer than that. It was just a box of memorabilia that Kurt had moved from Lima, to his apartment with Rachel, to this apartment without ever really looking in it much.

He stood on his tip-toes and reached up for the box, grabbing it with his fingertips and pulling it forward until he was able to get it down. _Baa bump. Baa bump._ Kurt let out a shout of surprise and dropped the box, afraid that there _actually was_ a rodent in there. The box landed on its side, knocking the top off and causing its contents to scatter over the floor of Kurt's closet. Kurt knelt down and sighed in relief when he saw there was no furry creature making a home in his old hat box. The thumping noise had stopped as well.

Kurt started gathering things up: a few drawings from when he was a kid, a letter from his dad from when he graduated high school, the program from his mother's funeral; Kurt held that one a little longer than the others, not even remembering that he'd kept it. He put them all back in the box and then crawled forward to make sure nothing had rolled under his clothes; his hand landed on something warm and smooth. Kurt pulled it out and sat back on his feet to look at it. It was a stone, dazzling red and as smooth as glass, probably the size of Kurt's fist and strangely shaped. Kurt remembered this rock, he'd found it at the beach on the last vacation he and his parents had gone on before his mom got sick.

That's why he'd kept it all these years; that summer had been nearly perfect, the last perfect summer before it became just him and his dad.

Kurt ran his fingers over the rock and sighed before putting it back in the box with his other things. He stood and took the box out of the closet; he wanted to go through this later, it be interesting to look at these things he hadn't thought about in years.

He sat the box on his desk and the noise started again, _thump, thump, thump_. Kurt jumped back in surprise as each thump from the box grew louder. It didn't make sense; there was nothing in that box that would make noise. A fuzzy memory from his childhood started to form in his mind but was chased away by the increasing din the box was making. Kurt's breath became short and he covered his ears, fear starting a thrum through him. When just like that… it was silent again.

Kurt stood frozen staring at the box, his heart beating too fast in his chest, when there was another thumping noise, this time behind him. Kurt let out a short shocked yelp and turned around.

It was only someone knocking at the door. Kurt licked his dry lips and went to look out the peep hole to see Aaron standing there.

Kurt sighed and leaned his forehead against the door frame. What was Aaron doing here? Kurt straightened up and squared his shoulders. At least this would give him a chance to end things between them, even if his stomach squirmed, breaking up really was the worst.

Kurt opened the door and Aaron immediately greeted him with a kiss to his cheek before Kurt had a chance to stop him. "Hey, Kurt!" He said walking in and Kurt watched him.

"Aaron, what are you doing here? We don't have plans for this evening."

Aaron was looking around the small room, he hadn't really been in Kurt's apartment before. "I know, but you said you wanted to talk about something and I just hurried off this afternoon. So I thought I'd drop by and see my boyfriend."

"Boyfriend." Kurt repeated and rubbed his forehead, a headache forming _. Just do it fast_ , he told himself, _like ripping off a band aid.  
_  
Kurt looked at Aaron and he was smiling as he took a step closer to Kurt. "You know I _really_ like you, Kurt, don't you?"

Kurt opened his mouth, "I…"

"I mean, I waited all that time for you to go out with me and then when you finally said yes I was so excited. And since then… it's just been perfect."

Kurt's heart thudded in his chest. _Fast like a band aid!_ "Do you… want something to drink?" Kurt asked, stalling. "I have wine and…" Kurt walked over to his refrigerator and looked inside. "I have white wine and milk and water." He laughed uneasily. _Good job Kurt, offer him alcohol when you're meant to be breaking up with him._ "Or maybe not wine."

Aaron smiled easily and started walking around the small apartment. "Actually, wine would be great."

"...Great." Kurt frowned and pulled out the wine and filling two glasses, before joining Aaron where he'd stopped by his desk to look at some of the sketches stacked there. The open hat box sat nearby.

"Did you do these, Kurt?" He said, picking up one of the sketches.

"I did." Kurt passed him the glass of wine. "I like to design things on the side."

"They're cute."

Kurt opened his mouth to say something and then closed it again. Cute wasn't really what he'd been going for, but he didn't feel the need to correct him.

Aaron took a sip of wine and then sat down on the couch. Kurt joined him, trying to think of what to say next and swirling his wine around in his glass. When he looked up, Aaron had set down his glass and was leaning in, and with a sharp intake of breath, Aaron's lips were on his own. Aaron took Kurt's glass from his hand and set it down on the side table without ever leaving Kurt's space and then started pressing him down into the couch.

"Whoa wait!" Kurt said, his voice firm as he pressed against Aaron's shoulder to get him off of him. Kurt pulled himself back into a sitting position and scooted away.

"Kurt." Aaron scolded. "You know we've been going out for a few weeks and haven't done more than kiss? I'm okay with going slow and we don't have to do anything you don't want to tonight, but…" He shrugged and moved forward again.

"Stop!" Kurt cried and jumped off the couch. "I'm sorry, Aaron... I am but this… no. This isn't working."

"I'm moving too fast aren't I?" He asked, looking up at Kurt from the couch.

Kurt squared his shoulders and took a deep breath. "I mean _us,_ Aaron, I'm sorry, but _we_ aren't working out. You've been great really… but it isn't fair for us to keep going when I don't feel that _…_ way about you."

Kurt watched Aaron's face as it went through shock and hurt and then something angry flashed behind his eyes. He stood up. "It's that guy from the coffee shop isn't it?"

"No, this is because _we_ don't work, Aaron."

Aaron curled his fist as his face hardened and he breathed heavily out of his nose. "Fine. Whatever."

"Aaron-"

"No I get it, I do. You get an invitation for this ball and now you're all high and mighty and think you can do better."

"W-what?" Kurt sputtered.

"Doesn't matter." Aaron went for the front door and Kurt watched him, feeling hurt and confused.

"I'm really sorry."

Aaron spun to look at him "You're not that great, Kurt. All the students at NYADA know it; your lucky streak will end." And with that, he marched out, slamming the door so hard the pictures on Kurt's wall shook. He stared at the closed door for a moment and then crumpled down on the couch, holding his head in his hands. That was awful; he'd never meant to hurt Aaron, but he couldn't help feeling a little relieved. At least it was over now. And as far as NYADA went, a statement like that would have shaken him years ago when he first got to New York, but he had so much more confidence now, he wasn't going to let snide remarks from an angry guy get to him.

He got up and walked to the window, looking down at the sidewalk as Aaron thrust his hand in the air and tried to wave down a taxi. Kurt's cheeks were flushed and he opened the window, letting the cool winter air in as a taxi pulled up and Aaron climbed in; for a moment, Kurt imagined he heard a faint _thump, thump_ from outside before he closed the window and turned away. He pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed Mercedes's number, right now he needed to talk to someone who wasn't one of the exasperating men in his life.

* * *

Blaine's eyes blinked open to gaze up at the white ceiling of his bedroom like they did every morning except… except this time something was different, something was off. He leaned up on his elbows and looked around, he was lying on the floor still in yesterday's clothes. Yeah, that wasn't normal. He looked down to see the copper bowl lying beside him, cold and empty now.

He sat up and reached for the bowl, looking at his distorted reflection in the shiny metal before he threw it across the room in frustration, it crashed against the wall with a satisfying clang.

It hadn't worked. After everything he'd been through to get that vial and the ritual hadn't even worked. He had a vision, sure, but it didn't tell him what he needed to know, all it had done was… was _show him Kurt.  
_  
He groaned and got up from the floor, his muscles stiff and his head pounding. After the heat of the ritual last night, he felt colder than ever. Kurt. Why would the heartstone remains show him a man he's known for such a short time? Why would Kurt be so strong in his mind that the whole ritual was ruined because of it? Blaine clenched his fist and headed out of his room, stumbling a little on his way. He pressed his hand up against his doorframe to steady himself and took a deep breath.

He needed to see Felix. He had _trusted_ Felix and now he'd traded that dagger and was further from finding the truth than before. He grabbed his jacket by the front door and strode out of his apartment. Not even returning Manual's friendly greeting as he exited his building.

He took the subway, fuming the whole time, as his hands clenched and unclenched. Did Felix not understand what he was dealing with here? This was Blaine's _life_ , as miserable and empty as it was, and he'd trusted Felix. He'd even enjoyed his company in Blaine's own way.

When the train finally pulled up to Blaine's stop, he stormed off, and as he came up from the station, cold wind bit at his skin, but for once he didn't even notice it. He walked until he got to the old ruins of the church, ignoring them and hurrying to the secret latch that opened into Felix's den. Blaine glared at the iron knocker, his anger too hot to even flinch at the creature's ruby-like eyes as he pounded on the door.

"Felix!" He yelled and pounded the door again. "Felix open up right now!"

"You have to knock the code." Blaine heard Felix's muffled voice from behind the thick wood.

"Open this door Felix or I swear…"

"Knock. The. Code."

Blaine let out a long controlled breath and then lifted up his fist and knocked the correct tattoo on the door. He heard Felix unlatching locks and then the door swung open.

"Blaine! Son of Ander. Gaelic for-"

"I know what it is Gaelic for." Blaine snapped, pushing in and slamming the door behind him. "Do you know why I'm here?"

Felix's room was warm and bight as usual and Felix's cheeks and nose were red, causing Blaine to think that he'd probably been drinking. He ignored Blaine's question to lock the door again and then walked around him to sit at the low wooden table.

Finally, he met Blaine's eyes. "And to what do I owe your lovely company?" He said with a shrewd smile and Blaine clenched his jaw and moved forward, taking the empty glass vial out of his pocket and throwing it on the table.

"You _know_ why I'm here."

Felix glanced down at the vial and back up at Blaine. "You used the heartstone remains?"

"Of course I did."

Felix's eyebrows lifted in excitement. "Tell me all about it!" He got up and grabbed a bottle of wine and two mugs from a cupboard. "I've heard about the ritual of course, but never first-hand. I want to know everything."

Blaine watched Felix as he carefully poured a deep red wine for both of them. If he'd known the remains weren't real and that Blaine was here for an explanation, why was he so calm? Blaine didn't have the kindest reputation and normally his ire would have more intimidating men than Felix trembling. But here was Felix: short, portly and unafraid, offering him a clay mug of wine.

Blaine reached out for it dubiously and didn't take a sip even as Felix began to enjoy his. "You know what happened," Blaine repeated.

"You keep saying that, but I don't."

Either Felix wasn't aware that he'd traded Blaine a faulty item or his acting skills were good enough that he should join Kurt at NYADA.

Kurt.

That vision of Kurt last night, all kind eyes and sweet words and soft touch…

"It didn't work," Blaine said, watching Felix closely. "I did what was required and it… it started… it seemed like it was working but then… nothing."

"No visions?" Felix asked, placing his mug down and lifting a brow.

"I- No there was a vision."

"Then it worked."

"No!" Blaine covered his eyes with his hand and sighed. "The vision I had had nothing to do with what I'm searching for."

Felix was quiet until Blaine looked back across the table to him. "All this time and everything I've done… and those remains they should have… that should have been my _chance_. It should have given me direction, a path, a way to find…" Blaine trailed off. "But it _didn't_ work."

Felix tilted his head and watched him and Blaine felt the anger draining out of him. Felix hadn't tricked him. Felix didn't know there was something wrong with the vial. Felix was one of Blaine's most reliable contacts. "So you think I failed you?" Felix asked.

" _Something_ failed me."

"Maybe, maybe not. Tell me about this vision."

"Why, so you can try to interpret it? You're no soothsayer, Felix, we both know that."

"Oh no no, you're right. You have more magic in one of your eyelashes than I have in my entire, not unsubstantial, self. But… I know things of the world and I've lived a long life."

Blaine snorted at that, they both knew a little something about a long life.

"Tell me the vision you had."

Blaine closed his eyes and thought back to the night before, "It was just... a person. A face and a voice. I don't remember what they said though."

Felix nodded. "Someone you know?"

"Yes."

"Your brother?"

Blaine opened his eyes and narrowed them at Felix.

"Alright _not_ your brother. Someone you know now or did know once?"

Blaine was tired. He was so tired. He usually was, but after the ritual last night and having his hopes dashed, he had little left in him. Why not just tell Felix? "A man. Someone I know now – I met him a few weeks ago."

"You saw this man's face and heard his voice?"

"Yes."

"And you don't think that significant?" Felix asked in confusion.

"I think he has nothing to do with my search."

"Is this man a friend or foe?" Felix drained the last of the wine from his mug. "And are you going to drink that?" He gestured to Blaine's untouched mug. "That's a 1964 Biondi Santi-"

"You can have it," Blaine said with a slight smile, nudging his cup towards Felix.

Felix took a sip. "Friend or foe?"

"Friend." Blaine answered.

"Now that is the most surprising information you've told me so far."

"Ha ha." Blaine dead-panned as Felix grinned at him.

"Maybe you _should_ see a soothsayer. I promise you the heartstone remains I traded you were genuine, maybe you just aren't grasping the answer they gave."

"He couldn't have anything to do with this, Felix. I don't _want_ him to have anything to do with this he is too… too good and…"  
Blaine stopped himself as Felix's mouth parted and his eyes grew round.

"You have _feelings_."

Blaine glared at him. "Of course I have feelings, I'm still human you know."

"Feeling for this man?"

Blaine ran his fingers through his mess of curly hair and didn't answer.

"I think you need to see him again. Find out what your vision meant."

Kurt didn't have anything to do with this, Blaine was sure of that. And yet... that vision… Blaine reached over and took the mug from Felix's hand taking a gulp of the wine, it was good, warm and smooth as it went down. Felix just chuckled at him as Blaine's mind swirled with questions.


	7. Chapter 6

**AN: Wheew, the weather where I live is _crazy_ I drove in from out of town yesterday and didn't think I was going to make it with the down pour and the flooding! Sheesh. But now I am safe in my little appartment and ready to give you this next chapter. Is it weird to say I really like this one? Because I do and I hope you do as well!**  
 **As usual all my love to me beta theatrevicki!**

* * *

Blaine stuffed his hands in his pockets as he looked up at the neon sign proclaiming in a glowing purple, "Psychic Readings Here" and at another sign lit in red which let the passersby know that they were open for business. Blaine sighed and rubbed his head, this little shop in the middle of a rundown plaza looked just like any other dime-a-dozen psychic storefront. Blaine had traveled over 3,000 miles and crossed the Atlantic to get here though.

He entered the building, the door chiming behind him, and stood a moment letting his eyes adjust to the light. It was darker in here than outside, the windows covered in thick curtains and the room mostly lit with candles and dim lamps. This was just the waiting room and already the proprietor was trying to convey a sense of eeriness and the unknown. Blaine spared a brief glance for the elderly man and young woman sitting in the room waiting before he started walking to the door that separated the lobby from where the fortune teller spun her tales.

The walkway was draped with a beaded curtain, it really couldn't get more cliché. Before Blaine could march through, a middle aged woman wearing a scarf to tie down her messy curls walked out from the back room and immediately put her hand on Blaine's chest, stopping him in place.

"You have to wait your turn," she said in an obviously fake and indistinguishable accent as she glanced at the people waiting behind him. "I have time to see you all but only when it is your turn."

"Thank you," the girl said from behind Blaine's shoulder; she sounded annoyed that Blaine thought he could cut in front of her.

"I'm not here to see you," Blaine huffed, his hands still in his pockets, and his eyes narrowed. "What could _you_ possibly tell _me_?"

The woman's face tightened in anger before she lifted her brow in understanding. "She's in the back."

Blaine nodded curtly and walked past the woman, through the ridiculous beads into an even darker room with a table and a crystal ball. Blaine rolled his eyes and continued on, opening a door in the corner of the darkened room and entering a bright, sunny little kitchen.

This room was obviously off-limits to customers, and there were no candles, or heavy drapes, or anything to make you think of mystery or other-worldly-realms. It was just a simple, small, clean kitchen that smelled of lemon disinfectant and tea. A young woman, looking to be in her early twenties, sat at the table in the middle of the room with a cup of tea in front of her and another cup set at the empty chair across the table.

She looked up at Blaine, pushing a strand of jet-black hair behind her ear, her dark skin was smooth and her eyes flashed a smile and looked very much like the eyes of the older woman who'd let him in.

"Have a seat love. I made you tea," she said in a thick accent, mostly London, but with a little of the Welsh sing-song lilt to it that reminded Blaine of his childhood. Blaine sat down and looked at the teacup, steam still rising from it as if it'd just been poured.

"Are you going to read my tea leaves?" He said with a smirk.

"I could." The girl answered taking a sip. "But I think you are here to have me read your dreams."

Blaine nodded, his heart picking up speed; he wanted to talk to her about his vision, that's why he'd come all the way to Islington, but now that he was here he felt nervous to find out the truth. "I apologize that I didn't tell you I was coming, it was a spur of the moment trip, but it seems you didn't need notice."

"I'm surprised I didn't see you coming sooner. I only realized it this morning and told my granddaughter that I should be expecting you."

Blaine turned towards the room he'd just come through. "She's your _granddaughter_?"

The girl laughed, her voice filling the room, but it sounded cold and made Blaine's spine tingle. "Yes, but we tell everyone I'm _her_ daughter, it makes more sense for the feeble minded that way."

Blaine shook his head, "I don't know why I'm surprised, you use a gaudy psychic business as a front for your real abilities; very little here is as it seems. I'm also surprised you so willingly let me in. I expected some resistance."

"I couldn't stop you from seeing me if that was what you decided on and I'm not afraid of you." The girl looked at him steadily as if to prove her point, but her mouth twitched a little giving away her nerves. "Besides, I expect to be paid handsomely for this."

Blaine nodded and withdrew a small embossed metal case from his coat pocket, opening it and sliding it across the table. Inside was a pearl and diamond bracelet carefully nestled in the blue velvet of the case.

"Oh this is an antique," she said, withdrawing the bracelet and letting the delicate jewels hang from her fingers. "I'd say almost as old as you?" She arched a brow.

"Older. It was my mother's." Blaine had been holding on to this keepsake his entire life, but he knew the soothsayer wouldn't take just any payment. It had to be expensive and it had to be of a personal nature.

"Well then, drink your tea and tell me about your vision," she said, slipping the bracelet on her delicate wrist.

Blaine tore his eyes away from the bracelet and did as he was told; he told her about Felix and the heartstone remains and how the ritual seemed to be going well, but instead of giving him answers all he was left with was a vision of a man he hardly knew. Blaine unconsciously reached for his phone as he told her about his vision of Kurt.

It had been a week since Blaine had seen Kurt. Since he'd found out Kurt had a boyfriend and then promptly had a vision of Kurt that dashed his hopes of actually learning something through his ritual. He hadn't seen Kurt in a week, but Kurt had been texting him. Not obsessively, but now and again. He sent him a picture of a pigeon trying to carry a loaf of bread almost the size of its body that Kurt had seen on a walk and thought was funny. He texted him a picture of Blaine's dark roast with cinnamon one day with the message, _Your coffee is waiting for you if you ever decide to show up again_. He'd texted him two pictures of outfits hanging on a mannequin and asked him which one he thought Kurt should wear to the Broadway Ball.

Blaine hadn't texted back.

He didn't understand his strange feelings towards Kurt. Kurt made him feel both happy and safe and somehow extremely apprehensive at the same time. People like Kurt weren't meant to be in Blaine's life, he had no space for them. Of course he didn't tell the soothsayer all of this while his fingers smoothed over his phone and he wondered when Kurt would eventually give up on him and stop texting. The idea made his heart sink a little… he didn't want Kurt to give up on him.

When Blaine had finished describing his vision and how utterly unhelpful it was, the woman across from him put her teacup down on the table top and looked at him for a long, full moment.

"Do you know who the heartstone that you drank belonged to?"

Blaine sucked in a quick breath, that wasn't what he'd been expecting her to ask. "No. Do you?"

"No, but it wasn't your brother's if that's what you're worried about."

Blaine clenched his jaw to hide his relief. "I don't actually care who the heartstone belonged to. Whoever they were, they're dead now and none of my concern."

"That's a lie. It bothers you. You don't like that you don't know who it was or how they died. You hate the thought of them suffering even though you don't even know them. You aren't like the rest of us, you still _care_." Her pleasant expression broke for a second on the last word, she snarled it out like the idea of someone caring about another was abhorrent to her.

Blaine swallowed the lump in his throat at the truth of her words, he did care and it was a heavy burden to carry. "This isn't why I came."

"Do you want to know about your brother? He's still alive."

Blaine's hands tightened so fiercely around the teacup he was holding, he was surprised he didn't break the porcelain. He set it down and had to force himself to take several long calming breaths before he trusted himself to speak. Cooper was alive – after all this time of not knowing… He cleared his throat. "This isn't the information I'm paying you for."

The young woman leaned forward, her dark hair swinging at the side of her face like a heavy curtain. "Well then I could tell you about the darkness that lurks at your back, the shadow that chases you even across continents. I almost didn't let you in today knowing how close it is to slashing its claws through your skin."

It was Blaine's turn to lean forward intimidatingly now, she was trying to scare him and it wouldn't work. "You said yourself you couldn't stop me if I really wanted to see you, so don't pretend you took this meeting out of the goodness of your heart. We both know you don't even have one. And stop trying to distract me with answers I didn't ask for. Do you know anything about my vision or not?" Blaine's voice was deep, steady and deadly as it came out; nothing he said was a threat, but still the warning lingered in the air between them. He watched the soothsayer wet her lips nervously and then lean back in her chair.

"It isn't a coincidence you had a vision of this boy you're obsessed with."

"I'm not obsessed-"

"You didn't dream of him because you were distracted from the message of the ritual, he _is_ the message of the ritual."

"No." Blaine's heart thudded heavily, that couldn't be true.

"He is, whether you like it or not. He is indisputably linked to you finding what you search for. He is the key to it."

Blaine could feel his hands start to shake so he kept them in his lap where she couldn't see them. "He doesn't have it…"

"No, he doesn't have what you are looking for, but you can only find it through him."

"And does he know what I am? Is he part of all of this?" Blaine's mouth felt dry, "Has he only been pretending to be… to be…"

"Normal?"

Blaine glanced up from where his gaze had landed on his empty teacup to look into the soothsayer's dark eyes, he nodded slightly not trusting his voice.

"He has no idea what you are or that he is tangled in a chaos far beyond his understanding."

"I don't want him part of this, it's dangerous."

"You're dangerous."

Blaine sighed heavily. "I should have never spoken to him, never gotten him involved."

"He was involved long before he met you," the soothsayer said and her face had settled into a deceivingly kind smile. "You did not draw him into this, he has been fated for his path his entire life. As you both have."

Blaine folded his arms over his chest and looked out the kitchen window to the sunny day outside. Cold, but bright and strangely dry for England this time of year.

"You have other questions for me," the soothsayer said, trying to draw Blaine out of his thoughts.

"How do I keep him safe?" Blaine asked, surprising himself. He had many questions and he knew she'd only answer a few more, but his heart felt constricted in his chest. He didn't care that she said Kurt was involved in all of this danger before he even met Blaine, he felt responsible for Kurt's safety. He didn't like it, this pull towards another person, it didn't suit him and the life he'd formed for himself. Still, he couldn't help the painful tug in his chest when he thought of Kurt, innocent and sweet, in danger.

"You have to find your heartstone," she answered simply.

"Oh, you mean the one I've been looking for for decades? The one that I thought the ritual would help me find? _That_ heartstone?" Blaine rolled his eyes, his arms still crossed. "Thank you for such _useful_ advice."

"He will lead you to your heartstone. It isn't safe, nothing is safe for you, you know this; but _he_ is safer with you than without you."

Blaine rubbed his eyes tiredly. "How could Kurt lead me to my heartstone? I don't understand, there has to be a way to keep him out of it. If I just don't see him again… Or… Or if I leave New York permanently..."

"You're running out of time love."

"I _know_."

"If you leave, he will still be caught in the middle and there is no way to save yourself without him. And we all know you saving yourself has always been your top priority."

Blaine wanted to deny that, but he knew he couldn't so he remained quiet. He wondered, though, what he would do if it came down to it—if he'd put Kurt's safety above his own. It was a nice thought, him sacrificing himself for someone else's wellbeing. Heroic. Eloquent. False.

"The shadow that lurks behind your shoulder is closer now than it has ever been." The soothsayer continued, her voice a deep hum and Blaine felt a cold chill run down his body; he knew it was getting close, closer and closer the past decade or so. So close Blaine could almost feel it sometimes, he really was running out of time.

"If the darkness finds your stone before you do…" The soothsayer caught his eye to communicate the absolute truth in her words. "Well, then there is nothing in heaven or earth or beneath the earth that will be able to save you."

* * *

Kurt glanced down at his phone as it buzzed with a text message; his heart lifted hoping it was from Blaine but then sunk down again when he saw the message from Mercedes.

 _Kuuuuuurt! I am so sorry I can't go to the ball with you but I can't reschedule my recording session after all._

Kurt sighed, disappointed again. Since he broke up with Aaron, and Blaine was completely MIA, he'd asked Mercedes to go to the Broadway Ball with him. She had tried to change her schedule to make it happen, but apparently that hadn't worked out.

 _That's alright. It could be fun to go stag!_ Kurt texted back, hoping his text conveyed more excitement than he felt. He was walking the halls of NYADA, going from one class to another and texting Mercedes, when someone ran _hard_ into his shoulder. He looked up and his stomach dropped. "Oh, hi Aaron."

Kurt had stayed clear of Aaron for the past week; breaking up with someone and then still having to see them almost every day at school was less than ideal. Especially when Aaron sent Kurt dirty looks as often as possible and was constantly talking about him behind his back.

Several of Kurt's friends at school had let him know that Aaron was spreading hurtful rumors about him.  
 _  
"He said he broke up with you because you are terrible in bed."_

"Aaron told me that you said you were too good for NYADA and couldn't wait to get away from all the incompetent people here."

 _"He said you will jump anything that moves."_  
 _  
"He is telling everyone that all you do is talk smack about everyone else in your classes."_

Of course some of Kurt's "friends" told him about Aaron saying these things just because they loved the drama of it all, but most of his real friends had Kurt's back and didn't believe the rumors. Still, it hurt that Aaron was saying these things and knowing that some people would undoubtedly believe him. Especially since Kurt was going to the Broadway Ball and people were already a little jealous of that. Overall, it was making Kurt's last semester at NYADA less than enjoyable.

"Hello Hummel," Aaron said, rubbing his shoulder as if Kurt had purposefully hit him.

Kurt smiled at him. "Sorry, I was texting and didn't see you there."

"Sure, you probably think the whole hallway is yours anyway."

Kurt sighed and bit his tongue from saying something he would regret. He didn't want to fight with Aaron like he was some bitter ex. They had hardly gone out for any length of time at all and he didn't understand why Aaron was being this way. "Um... well sorry." Kurt repeated and continued walking.

"So have you fucked that guy from the coffee shop yet?" Aaron called after him and Kurt spun around in surprise.

"Excuse me?"

"Or were you sleeping with him even while we were together?"

Kurt could feel his face heat up; he regretted that he hadn't been more open with both Aaron and Blaine earlier on, but he _hadn't_ cheated on anyone. "Blaine and I are just friends."

"Sure you are."

"I haven't even seen him since we broke up!" Kurt said throwing his arms out in frustration, and god, he immediately wished he hadn't said that. Why give Aaron more to throw back at him?

"Oh really? Did he find out how impossible it is to get into your holier-than-thou pants?"

Kurt rolled his eyes, he'd had enough of this, "Okay what story are you going to stick with here Aaron? Am I a slut or a prude? You can't have it both ways."

Aaron glowered at him and Kurt noticed his eyes looked bloodshot and there were dark bags under them. He didn't look well. Aaron's fist started to shake like he was so consumed with anger he couldn't contain it; he took a step forward and Kurt took a step back. He hadn't felt this cornered since being bullied by jocks back in high school.

"You'll get what's coming to you." Aaron spat, standing so close Kurt could feel his angry breath on his face. "Just you wait."

Kurt clutched the strap of his book bag as Aaron finally eased off, turned around and walked away without another word. Kurt let out the breath he was holding feeling a little shaken and hurried towards his next class. Stopping once he'd turned into a new hallway to lean against the wall in relief, he glanced down at the phone still in his hand from earlier.

He was going to text Mercedes about what just happened but then decided against it, he didn't want to worry her. Instead he started a text to Blaine – even though Blaine had never yet texted him back.

 _I don't know if you still have this phone, or if you are tired of hearing from me, but I wish you'd text back. I know you said we were just people who got coffee together, but it was more than that to me. I miss seeing you._

Kurt fought with himself for a moment, but he'd probably already lost all contact with Blaine, what could being honest hurt now? He hit send, stuffed his phone in his bag and didn't wait for a return text.

Kurt went the rest of the day without looking at his phone. He picked up dinner on his way home from a little Thai place near his apartment and settled down on his couch, sitting cross legged with a container of pad thai before he finally pulled his phone back out to call his dad. Whenever he was feeling down, he called his dad, even if he didn't feel like he should tell him all the details of what was going on, his dad still always made him feel better.

Instead he was surprised to see four text messages from an unknown number.

Kurt read this first one. _Sorry I've been out of the country. This is my new number. B._

Kurt smiled and sat his food down and scrolled to the next message.

 _I should have texted you back much sooner. Sorry_.

 _And I'm sorry I ever said we were just people who got coffee. I didn't mean that._ _And I just realized I said sorry too much in all of these texts, or maybe not enough, I'm not sure._

Kurt's smile was hurting his face by the time he read the last message.

 _In any case… I miss you too._

Kurt couldn't help but laugh out loud a little; he was so happy to hear from Blaine. He almost hit the call button but decided to take this slow. Blaine was too easy to spook.

 _So you were out of the country? Meaning you're back now? And please don't think you have anything to say sorry about I should be apologizing to you. I should have told you about Aaron, who I'm not seeing any more by the way._

Kurt waited for a few minutes before his phone buzzed again.

 _Let's just say we are both sorry and move on. I'm not back in town yet, but I will be soon. I was thinking when I am, instead of coffee we should have dinner?_

Kurt's mouth dropped open and he was embarrassed by the squeal that came out. At least he was alone. Kurt lay back on the sofa, forgetting all about dinner. He smiled at the little question mark in Blaine's text; did he really think Kurt would say no? He texted Blaine back in the affirmative, of course he'd love to have dinner with him.

Blaine never really said exactly when he'd be back in New York, but over the next several days, Blaine kept up a steady stream of text messages with him. Even sending a picture of himself with a pigeon that landed on his shoulder. Blaine looked less than amused while the pigeon looked completely at home _. I think I liked your pigeon_ _with the bread more._

This, of course, started a string of pigeon texts, as there was no shortage of them in New York, or seemingly in London where Blaine was. Every time Kurt's phone chimed with another text from Blaine, whether it was silly or funny or sweet, Kurt felt his whole face light up in a smile. He didn't care as much about the stress of school, or Aaron's hateful glances, or the fact that he was going unaccompanied to the ball. Blaine hadn't disappeared from his life! And though they didn't see each other every day like they had been, they were talking more than ever now, even if it was all over text messages.

Blaine even helped him pick out his tux for the Broadway Ball and Kurt had almost asked him if he'd be back in town in time for it, but decided against it. Blaine was away on business and he wasn't going to hurry home just to go to some party with Kurt. Still, going alone didn't seem that bad anymore, not with the promise of dinner with Blaine when he got back to New York to keep him going.

Kurt was getting ready for school one morning a few days after Blaine's first text and smiling down at his screen. _What time is it there?_ Kurt asked even though he'd already done the math.

 _Lunch time_. Blaine texted back. _I found a great café with coffee I think you'd approve of._

 _Coffee not tea? You are in England._

Not for much longer I should be heading back to New York in a couple of days.

Kurt bit his lip and squeezed his phone, _I can't wait._


	8. Chapter 7

**AN: Happy November my friends! I love this time of year because it is finally getting cool! YAY! Hot chocolate and sweaters and fall leaves!  
Anyway... you're not here to listen to me ramble. I did want to say sorry for not posting over the weekend, I had planned to but it just didn't happen. In any case thank you for reading and leave a comment if you like because they make me ridiculously happy. Thanks to theatrevicki for being an angel. And enjoy!**

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Kurt pulled his coat tightly around himself as he ducked out of the taxi. He glanced at the town cars and limos pulling up and felt a little out of place. Taking a taxi had been a splurge for him; it was sleeting today, the weather irritable and icy and he'd just gotten his hair perfect, so the subway hadn't been an option. Compared to what the other guests showed up in, though, the taxi looked cheap. Still, there was nothing that could be done about that, so Kurt just decided to be grateful for the valet waiting on the curb with an umbrella. Kurt's hair would at least survive the walk inside.

Kurt paid the cab driver and thanked the valet as he turned to look at the historic Waldorf Astoria. It was hard to get a clear view of the pale stone and marble building through the rain, and Kurt was quickly escorted inside where he presented his invitation and checked his coat. He caught his reflection in a window: perfectly fitted dark blue tuxedo with velvet lapels and his hair swooped up high on his head, not damaged by the rain. He smiled at his reflection. Knowing he was dressed to perfection helped soothe the anxious butterflies fluttering in his stomach as he walked through the glamorous hotel lobby.

It was finally the evening of the Broadway Ball and even though Kurt had been looking forward to it for weeks, he was feeling a little nervous now that the night had come. He was about to enter a room full of many of his professional idols, people with whom he someday dreamed of working; this was his chance to make a good first impression and you only get one go at that.

Kurt bit his lip and smiled as that thought led to memories of Blaine and the horrible first impression Blaine had made on him. He had more than made up for it by now. After all of their coffee dates and texting almost constantly for days while Blaine was in London, Kurt felt closer to him than ever. To Kurt's disappointment, Blaine had been mostly quiet today; he had, however, sent Kurt a text that afternoon while Kurt was getting ready for the ball to say that he knew Kurt was going to charm everyone tonight and that he looked incredible. When Kurt texted back that Blaine couldn't even see him, he'd replied with, "It doesn't matter, trust me you look incredible."

Kurt used Blaine's encouragement to buoy him as he stepped into the ballroom. The room itself was impressive, high ornate ceiling with a glimmering chandelier. The walls were lined with alcoves and the room filled with rich golden lighting. The dance floor was polished wood and already people were dancing to the live music of the stringed band. A waiter walked by with a tray of champagne and Kurt took a glass, wanting something to hold as he stood nervously in the back wondering what he should do from here.

"Kurt!" Someone nearby called his name and Kurt turned in relief when he saw that it was his teacher Ms. Pole. "Oh darling look at you," she said, standing back and taking him in. "Perfectly on point as usual."

"You look gorgeous yourself," Kurt replied, spying her black Dolce & Gabbana evening gown and placing a kiss to her cheek.

"Did you not bring a guy for arm candy?" She asked and Kurt shook his head, hoping he didn't look embarrassed. He was alright about the fact that he was here alone; he had wanted to come with Blaine, and if that wasn't a possibility, this really was okay. "Well, all the better to meet and mingle!" She said, tugging him further into the room. "I have so many people to introduce you to!"

Kurt followed Ms. Pole as she introduced him to her former students, and professional actors and a few directors. Kurt's heart was racing and his cheeks hurt from smiling so hard. He hardly remembered what he even said to anyone and could only hope he wasn't coming off as a complete disgrace to NYADA.

He met one of his favorite directors and couldn't help but gush a little. The man promised to come see him in his off-Broadway show once he graduated and Kurt almost squealed. The evening continued like that; Kurt felt like he needed to pinch himself. Here among these people, he felt like himself; this was where he was meant to be, but someday, he wouldn't just be a student and adoring fan, one day he'd be a stage actor – he'd be one of them.

He was sipping champagne as Ms. Pole drifted off to talk to some friends and Kurt found himself happily listening to the conversation of the group he was left standing with. He was cheerful, a little warm from the champagne, and completely enamored with the people and glitz surrounding him, so he was taken off guard when he felt a hand on his arm and he turned to see Aaron standing next to him.

Aaron's long hair was pulled back and he wore a slick black tuxedo, and by all accounts, should have looked charming and handsome, but when Kurt looked into his eyes, he felt a shiver run down his spine. They were stony and dark, his face pallid, and he still had dark rings under his eyes.

"Hello Kurt." He said with a disconcerting smile as he tugged Kurt away from the group he was with.

"Aaron… what are you doing here?"

"No reason to act so surprised," he answered under his breath. "It isn't like you are the only talented student at NYADA."

"I didn't mean that," Kurt tried to explain, still shocked to see Aaron here after all the drama that had built between them. It didn't help that Aaron was still clinging to his arm, grip growing tighter and his smile slipping to a grimace.

"I know you think you're the bell of the ball, better than anyone, but you aren't the only one who deserves to be here."

Kurt sighed heavily and tried to jerk his arm away, but he was surprised by the strength of Aaron's hold. "I never thought I was better than you, Aaron. Just because we didn't work out doesn't mean-" Kurt stopped mid-sentence as his eyes landed on someone standing a yard or so away behind Aaron's shoulder.

Kurt thought his eyes were playing tricks on him for a moment until there was a part in the crowd and he was able to get a better look. There, standing straight-backed and rigid in the clean lines and short tails of what looked to be a turn-of-the-century ink black tuxedo was… Blaine. It took a beat before Blaine turned his head in Kurt's direction, and when he did, their eyes met and Kurt's heart did a little fluttery tumble in his chest.

"Kurt!" Aaron snapped, dragging Kurt's attention back to him. "What is your problem anyway?" Aaron's grip grew harder and Kurt's brow furrowed in pain; he tried yanking his arm away again, but couldn't loosen Aaron's grip.

"Excuse me." A cool calm voice spoke up, and both Kurt and Aaron looked to see Blaine standing by them. He wasn't looking at Kurt anymore. Instead, his eyes, lit like fire, were burrowing into Aaron. He took a step closer, and even though Aaron had a few inches on him, Blaine seemed to tower over him.

" _Let him go_." Blaine's voice was a low rumble, more intimidating than if he'd raised his voice. Aaron didn't respond, so Blaine grabbed Aaron's hand, and before Kurt knew what was happening, Blaine had somehow yanked it off of Kurt's arm and was bending Aaron's fingers back enough to hurt, but not yet break. Aaron yelped as his eyes widened and Blaine kept hold of his hand. "I think you should go." Blaine seethed.

Aaron opened his mouth to say something but Blaine's face was like chiseled stone, cold and unmoving.

"Fine!" He took a step back and Blaine let go of his hand; Aaron shot Kurt one last dirty look before turning on his heels and hurrying away into the crowd.

Kurt opened his mouth to say something, but was at a loss for words. He watched a tremor run down Blaine's body before he turned to him, his eyes still dark but his face relaxing.

"I don't really need you to defend me like I'm a helpless child," Kurt said calmly and Blaine's expression froze before he furrowed his brow again.

"My apologies," he said with a slight bend at the waist and then moved to walk away.

"Wait!" Kurt reached out and stopped him with a hand on his shoulder, which he then ran down his arm as Blaine glanced back at him. "That doesn't mean you should go. I don't want you to go. You can't just close down and walk off when you don't like something I say. And what _was_ that with Aaron? I thought you were going to _break his hand_."

Blaine took a few short breaths before speaking, "Did you come with him?"

"No!" Kurt couldn't believe Blaine would really think that; Blaine knew he wasn't with Aaron anymore. "Of course not. Is that why you grabbed him-because you were jealous?"

"No, no..."Blaine shook his head, "I just wanted to stop him. He was _hurting you_." Blaine raked his fingers through his hair in frustration. "I needed him to stop so I made him stop."

Kurt took a deep breath to calm his racing thoughts; Blaine hadn't actually injured anyone and Aaron _had_ been hurting him. On top of that, Kurt had wanted Blaine here at the ball with him so much and now he was here and they were arguing. "I'm grateful. It's just that I could have handled that on my own." Kurt said trying to bring this conversation around.

"Just because you can handle something on your own doesn't mean you should have to."

Kurt thought about that for a moment, his heart was still beating a little too fast from Blaine's confrontation with Aaron; he'd never seen Blaine so threatening. Kurt had been defending himself against bullies his whole life, he knew how to do that and Blaine barging in all anger and heat had been alarming. Still, as he looked at Blaine, who was in his perfectly fitted suit and balling up his fists and uncurling them again like he was still worked up from what had happened with Aaron but wanted to calm down, Kurt couldn't help but be glad he was here. It was nice to know someone else had your back sometimes.

Kurt smiled a little and watched Blaine's shoulders relax. "Thank you, for helping."

Blaine nodded and fidgeted nervously like he didn't know what to do now.

Kurt thought about Blaine getting all dressed up in his tux and tie and polishing his shoes and styling his sometimes unruly curls. Kurt had never seen him so put together and it was endearing to think of him putting in all that effort. He'd gotten all dressed up and come out in the cold to this ball. How did he even get in? And why? Was he here just for Kurt?

"How are you even here?" Kurt asked, letting his smile grow to a grin.

Blaine ducked his head almost shyly and rubbed the back of his neck. "I flew in this afternoon as a surprise," he said, looking back up at Kurt through his lashes. "I'm sorry I'm so late and if I ruined everything with my temper."

Kurt was stunned at how bashful Blaine looked in that moment, especially in contrast to the fierce frightening look his face had held when talking to Aaron.

"You wanted to surprise me?"

Blaine just shrugged.

"I'm really glad you did and you didn't _ruin_ anything." Kurt's discomfort had slipped away; he was just so pleased to have Blaine here, like he had wanted from the start. "But how did you get an invite to the Broadway Ball?"

Blaine finally smiled at that, "It's _my job_ to acquire hard-to-get items." Blaine's eyes quickly scanned Kurt's face, and then his entire body, before meeting his eyes again. "I knew you'd look incredible."

Kurt laughed as his stomach swooped. "You're one to talk," Kurt said casually, tugging on Blaine's white bowtie. "You look handsome enough to be a hero that just walked out of a Victorian era romance." Kurt blushed as the words left his lips. Throughout the last week, their texts had started leaning towards the side of flirtatious, but Kurt didn't want to frighten Blaine away. He never knew what would make him skittish.

To Kurt's relief, Blaine just smiled again.

There was a comfortable silence between them for a moment before Kurt realized he had a hand still resting on Blaine's arm, the other on his shoulder from playing with his bowtie. He didn't move, though; instead, he took a step closer.

"Would you like to dance?" Kurt's heart stuck in his throat, ready for Blaine to turn him down. He wasn't sure if Blaine seemed like the kind of person who would like to dance, or even if he knew how.

"It _is_ a ball," Blaine answered, moving to hold Kurt's hand. "I would love to."

Kurt could feel his face beaming as he squeezed Blaine's hand and led him out onto the dance floor. They were in a safe place here, not even the only same-sex couple dancing that evening, but Kurt didn't even think about that. All he could think of was the way his hand fit perfectly in the dip of Blaine's waist and the feel of Blaine's gentle palm on his own hip. They spun onto the dance floor with the notes of a stringed waltz floating through the air.

It didn't take long for Kurt to realize that not only did Blaine know how to dance, but he was _very_ good at it. He didn't miss a step as he kept his eyes trained on Kurt. Kurt had been a fair dancer before he moved to New York, but his time at NYADA had made him proficient; still, the lightness Blaine had on his feet both surprised and charmed him.

"Where did you learn to dance?" Kurt asked as they continued to waltz.

"This isn't my first ball," Blaine smiled in answer and moved so that they were pressed closer together, Kurt's chest touching Blaine's. Kurt didn't mind that at all.

They danced together, keeping close, Kurt continually stealing glances at Blaine's face, his eyes so intent and gorgeous this close. And Blaine kept smiling, more than Kurt had even seen him do before, like looking at Kurt he couldn't help but grin. They spun and laughed, and it wasn't until the music slowed and Blaine leaned his cheek against Kurt's, that he realized they must have danced through several songs already. Kurt sighed happily, his heart beating in his chest keeping time with Blaine's. They had started out holding hands and waists, but had somehow slid nearer to each other holding onto elbows and backs.

Kurt felt Blaine spread his fingers against the small of his back and couldn't help the pleasant shiver that ran through him. He turned his face so that his nose brushed against Blaine's hair; he smelled of soap and coffee. He felt Blaine's soft breath on his neck and Kurt held him closer, their bodies fitting perfectly. Kurt let his eyes close as the song continued and wondered how they had gone from strangers in a coffee shop to dancing like they'd known each other for years, like they'd been in each other's arms over and over instead of this first wonderful time.

Kurt would have been satisfied to stay like this all night, Blaine warm and pressed against him as they swayed to the music, Kurt humming under his breath, but when the song ended, someone went up on stage to make announcements. The general thank yous that were required towards the end of an event like this. Blaine took a step back and looked at Kurt's face, his eyes bright and blinking and his cheeks tinged pink like he was just coming out of a dream.

"Thank you for the dance," Blaine whispered, not paying attention to the person on the stage. "I didn't mean to monopolize your dance card."

Kurt shook his head. "You were who I wanted to be here with anyway. Do you know how many times I almost asked you?"

Blaine swallowed and didn't reply as Kurt squeezed his hands. Before either of them had a chance to do anything else, they were interrupted by a loud, laughing voice. "Oh, Kurt!" The announcements had ended and Kurt found Ms. Pole smiling and rushing to him, a tall and balding but attractive, man on her arm.

"I see you found a handsome dance partner after all," she said.

"Yes." Kurt turned to Blaine. "Ms. Pole, this is Blaine. He's a good friend of mine."

"What a sincere pleasure to meet you," her voice was a little louder than necessary, and Kurt suspected Ms. Pole had been drinking all evening. Still, she was delightful and introduced her companion, a Mr. Blackmon.

"I think we've met before," the man said, studying Blaine's face as he shook his hand.

The easy demeanor that had come over Blaine as they'd danced instantly disappeared, and he went back to holding himself a little rigidly. "No, I don't believe so."

"You seem so familiar." The man insisted, and Blaine just shuffled uncomfortably on his feet, his smile gone and replaced with the slight scowl Kurt thought Blaine didn't even know he sometimes wore.

"I think they are going to play a few more songs still," Kurt said to change the subject, "You two should be on the dance floor."

"You did promise me a dance, Richard," Ms. Pole said, pulling him away. "A pleasure to meet you, Blaine! Kurt, I'll see you back at school next week!"

When they were gone, Blaine uncomfortably stuffed his hands in his pockets and wouldn't meet Kurt's eyes.

"You really aren't great at meeting new people are you?" Kurt teased, nudging him a little.

"People don't usually _want_ to meet me," Blaine answered, still not looking at him.

"I did." That made Blaine finally look up and meet his eyes. "For weeks before we spoke, I'd been trying to build up the nerve to say hello to you."

"And I was an ass." Blaine's face was so distraught he reminded Kurt of a kicked puppy.

Kurt chuckled. "Yes, you were, but I forgave you."

"And gave me another chance."

Kurt reached for Blaine's hand and held it lightly between them. "I'm glad I did."

Blaine's lips tipped up in a smile. "So am I. Regretfully, though, I think I'm going to have to call it a night." He glanced around and Kurt noticed the ballroom was emptier than it had been.

"I'll walk you out," Kurt said, still not letting go of his hand.

It had stopped raining, and as they got their coats and walked out into the crisp dark New York night, Kurt couldn't help the thrill that ran through him. This evening had gone so much better that he could have hoped for. Perfect with Blaine by his side.

"When do I get to see you again?" Kurt asked, swinging their hands together.

Blaine watched the motion for a moment before speaking, "I'm not sure."

"You said you wanted to get dinner when you were back in town."

"I do." Blaine nodded. "I just have… a lot going on right now."

"Mmm," Kurt hummed, trying to not feel disappointed. "You always have a lot going on; I guess you'll just have to make time for me. Maybe this will help motivate you." Kurt turned to face Blaine fully, and before he could talk himself out of it, he reached his arms up to loop around Blaine's neck and then gently brought their lips together. There was a nerve-wracking moment where Blaine didn't respond, but then his hands moved and were a comforting weight on Kurt's hips as Blaine sighed into the kiss, moving his lips and letting them sweetly linger.

Kurt tugged on Blaine's lips with his own a little before slowly breaking the kiss, but Blaine let out a soft moan that made Kurt's heart catch, and then pulled him closer kissing Kurt again and taking his breath away. When they parted Kurt felt more than a little breathless and moved his head back just enough to see Blaine's face, eyes still delicately closed. Kurt waited until he opened them again, shining a soft gold in the light of the street lamps.

"Call me and we'll set up a time to have dinner," Kurt whispered. "Call _soon_."

"Okay," Blaine breathed and Kurt's heart skipped a beat. He didn't want to ruin this perfect moment by saying anything more, so he let his hands fall and went back inside the Waldorf Astoria, taking one last glance behind him to find Blaine staring after him.

Kurt wanted to say good bye to Ms. Pole and thank her again for inviting him. His heart was dancing, and he found himself smiling brightly when he found his teacher, giving her a hard and grateful hug before saying goodnight. He still felt lighter than air as he started to leave when there was a polite clearing of the throat behind him. He turned to see Mr. Blackmon.

"May I trouble you for a moment?"

"Yes, of course." Kurt smiled. He couldn't stop smiling. He'd kissed Blaine _. He'd kissed Blaine!_ And Blaine had kissed him back.

"It is about your friend, Blaine."

"Yes?"

"I _have_ met him before even if he does not remember and I…" He trailed off for a moment as if not knowing how to frame his next words. "Patricia. Your Ms. Pole. Speaks very highly of you and I trust Patricia's judgement so I thought I should tell you, that young man, he is trouble. He isn't a good sort to be around. I know it really isn't my place to say, but I couldn't in good conscience let one of Patricia's favorite students spend time with such a… a questionable influence and not warn him."

"You think Blaine is trouble? I don't understand." Kurt really _didn't_ understand; he was hearing Mr. Blackmon's words but they didn't make sense to him. "I know he doesn't always make a great first impression-"

"It isn't that." Mr. Blackmon nervously swiped at his bald brow. "I know him, you should just be wary."

"I…" Kurt couldn't think of anything to say and Mr. Blackmon just nodded and then walked away leaving Kurt feeling deflated and confused.

* * *

Blaine stood outside the Waldorf watching Kurt as he walked back inside, Kurt turning at the doors and shooting Blaine a bright smile that did funny things inside his chest. Once Kurt was out of sight, Blaine lifted his fingertips to press them against his lips where Kurt had just kissed him.

It was cold out tonight, the rain from earlier already looking like it might freeze to the ground, and Blaine could see his breath as little puffs of swirling air. He didn't feel cold; for the first time in a long time, he felt pleasantly warm all the way down to his toes.

To think he almost hadn't come tonight. He'd gone back and forth on it for days. He knew that, according to his vision and the soothsayer, he needed Kurt in some way, but he didn't want that. He didn't want to spend time with Kurt just because he was somehow involved with finding his heartstone. He wanted to spend time with Kurt because… he was _Kurt_. Charismatic and beautiful and thoughtful and funny Kurt.

Blaine let his hand fall from his lips and pulled a pair of gloves out of his pocket, he was suddenly cold again. He had several reasons to want to keep Kurt in his life, that sweet soft kiss feeling paramount at the moment. He was scared of where this could lead, of the danger Kurt could be in just by associating with him – still, he had to admit he didn't know how to cut Kurt out of his life now.


	9. Chapter 8

**A: I am so sorry I'm late in updating _again_ I have no excuse really except sometimes the real world is overwhelming. In any case I hope you like this chapter. Leave me a comment if you feel like it, they are always so motivating! xo**

* * *

When Kurt got home from the Broadway Ball, he lay in bed unable to sleep, the kiss he shared with Blaine on loop in his head and making him smile so hard his cheeks hurt. He kept finding himself laughing out loud with the delight of it.

After their first awkward meeting, Kurt wouldn't have said that Blaine was the kind of person he'd ever fall for, but in the weeks since then Kurt had learned that there was so much more to Blaine under the surface. That's why Mr. Blackmon's warning sat so uncomfortably with him. Blaine couldn't be dangerous. He was all hard outer shell, soft inner goodness. He was sweet and caring, even if he tried not to show it, and he was shy even though he attempted to come off as cocky. Kurt hated that thoughts of their kiss were getting clouded by Richard Blackmon's vague warning. Why couldn't he just focus on the sweetness of their first kiss? He eventually pushed Mr. Blackmon's words away and fell asleep thoughts of Blaine's soft lips on his own filling his mind.

The next morning Kurt was an odd mix of elated and frustrated, he still felt unresolved about the evening before, Mr. Blackmon's words like an itch he couldn't reach. He decided to do a little research, maybe he could find out exactly what Mr. Blackmon had been referring to when he had said Blaine was trouble and then he'd be able to let this go.

He sat down with his laptop and a mug of coffee and set to work. A few hours later, Kurt had a crick in his neck and his coffee was cold; he rubbed his forehead in frustration and scowled at the laptop set on his lap. He had looked up "Blaine Anderson New York City" and then just "Blaine Anderson", he had tried the phone number he had for Blaine and anything else he could think of.

He wasn't sure what he had expected, but a basic search didn't bring anything up on Blaine. There were a couple of Facebook profiles and apparently a travel agent with that name, but nothing on the Blaine he knew. And though Kurt remembered Blaine saying he hadn't always lived in New York, he didn't know where he was from and expanding the search just brought up more dead ends.

Kurt changed gears and instead looked up Richard Blackmon, who turned out to be an easier find for information. He was a professor at NYU and had written text books on the history of British theater. He also seemed to be a wine enthusiast and a collector of art and manuscripts.

That caught Kurt's attention. If Mr. Blackmon was a collector and Blaine's job was finding hard-to-get items, maybe they'd met that way. Still, that information didn't shed any light on why a complete stranger would feel the need to warn Kurt away from Blaine.

Kurt shut his laptop and rubbed his eyes, he'd been at this for a while with no real answers and frankly he was starting to feel a little guilty about looking up information on Blaine without even talking to him first. Blaine was a friend, and possibly something more, and this wasn't a great way to start a relationship.

Kurt was so deep in thought that he jumped in surprise when his phone went off. He picked it up to see a picture of Blaine; he was sitting at their coffee shop looking down at his mug, his eyelashes long and dark and a small smile on his lips. Kurt had taken the picture weeks ago, surreptitiously raising his camera when Blaine wasn't looking. When Blaine heard the 'click' of the phone he'd glanced up in surprise.

"You don't mind do you?" Kurt had asked. "I want a picture to go with your phone number."

Blaine had continued to stare at Kurt in thought before he grinned. "Does this mean I get to take a picture of you?"

Kurt smiled at the memory and then quickly answered the phone. He had _kissed Blaine_ last night and had told him to call soon, and apparently, he was. Kurt could hear the joy in his own voice as he answered; just thinking about the kiss he shared with Blaine made him tingle all the way down to his toes.

"You called." Kurt said, cupping the phone to his ear and lying down on his couch, closing his eyes so he could picture Blaine's face.

"You said I should, and honestly I couldn't…" Blaine was quiet for a moment and Kurt just waited, "I can't stop thinking about you."

Kurt could just imagine Blaine nervously looking away as he said those words. Kurt wanted to take Blaine's hand and rub his thumb over it, or place a kiss to it, until Blaine realized he didn't have to be so self-conscious and guarded around him. Kurt wanted to get to know him, find answers for the things that were unclear to him, besides he already very much liked what he did know. "I've been thinking about you too," Kurt answered, not mentioning that some of those thoughts had been spent on trying to find out answers about Blaine.

"Do you have plans for this evening? Can I take you out to dinner?"

Kurt's heart did a funny little skip. "Yes! I mean… I'm not busy; I'd love to have dinner with you."

They set up a time and a place. Blaine offered to come pick him up, but seeing as they were both just taking the Subway anyhow, it made more sense to just meet at the restaurant. Kurt got off the phone feeling elated; yes, Mr. Blackmon's words still echoed in the back of his mind, but he had to be wrong about Blaine. Kurt wasn't going to let the words of a stranger change the way he felt about Blaine, not without knowing Blaine's side of the story.

* * *

Blaine swirled the red wine around in his mug as Felix sat across from him equally silent. Blaine had just explained everything he'd learned from the soothsayer in London and they were both absorbing the information.

"She said he was the key to finding your heartstone?" Felix broke the stillness.

Blaine looked up at him and nodded. "Yes, she said he was the message from the ritual."

"And _indisputably linked_ to finding what you're looking for?"

Blaine sighed and rubbed his head. "Yes."

Felix let out a low whistle. "Well… what are the chances of that?"

"The chances of what?"

"That the first person you've really let in your life in decades is somehow linked to your heartstone?"

"I've let you in," Blaine said, his stomach squirming with apprehension; he so didn't want Kurt to be any part of this.

"Yes, as a business associate, but it wasn't until you started spending time with Kurt that you actually began treating me as a friend. I feel like he has softened you."

"I'm not soft," Blaine said, staring Felix down so he'd remember who he was dealing with here.

"Soft doesn't mean weak Blaine. Don't be so defensive." Felix stared back and Blaine let his expression lighten, Felix had always stood his ground with him and Blaine liked that about their friendship.

"Are you feeling alright?" Felix asked as he studied him.

Blaine rubbed under his eyes. He'd been excessively tired of late and he knew it showed on his face. "Fine. I'm fine Felix. I just hoped I'd have more answers by now."

Felix nodded in understanding, "What are you going to tell him?"

"Tell who? Kurt? Nothing."

"You have to talk to him about this, how else are you going to use him to find the stone?"

"I don't want to _use_ him at all!" Blaine's fingers tightened around his mug, he hadn't gotten to know Kurt and let him into his life just to put him in danger or try to find his heartstone; being with Kurt wasn't about that. Kurt was just… something good, something good Blaine had allowed himself for once instead of hiding away from the world.

"That's not how I meant it. I just mean that I've been reading the signs, I'm sure you have too. The Dontizu are close, not only to you but to finding your heartstone before you can. And if they do-"

"You don't have to remind me what will happen if the Dontizu find and destroy my heartstone Felix," Blaine answered unconsciously, looking behind his shoulder at Felix's door, knowing the image of a Dontizu was his door knocker. "I've been running from them for a century now. I know."

Felix let out a deep put-upon sigh. "If you know the danger then how can you _not_ seek help from this Kurt of yours? Apparently he is the key! You should just tell him."

"Tell him what?" Blaine asked incredulously.

"Everything."

"I…" Blaine opened his mouth and sat stunned for a moment. " _Everything_?"

"Do you love him?"

"I never said-" Blaine swallowed. He wasn't in love, he really didn't want to be in love. He did care about Kurt deeply though.

"If you want to _stay alive_ ," Felix continued, "And have Kurt in your life, you are just going to have to tell him who you are. If he is already linked to your heartstone then he is in danger as it is. Besides, if you care about him, does he not deserve the truth?"

Blaine picked up his mug of wine and downed it in one go before thumping it back down on the table and standing. "I'll think about it." Something in Blaine's chest felt tight at the thought of telling Kurt everything, and surprisingly it wasn't fear, it was… hope?

"Think fast." Felix advised and stood to let him out.

Blaine got to the restaurant late. He hated that. He meant to be there early so Kurt wouldn't have to wait on him. However his time with Felix had run longer than he expected and his mind was full of questions. He was scared of telling Kurt everything and frightening him off, because at this point losing Kurt would be so much more than just losing a connection to his heartstone.

He reached the little food and wine bar he and Kurt had decided on a good 10 minutes late. He had texted Kurt to let him know he was on his way, but still this wasn't a good way to start off the first official date with the man that Blaine… that Blaine what? That he cared about? That seemed like a way of expressing his feelings for Kurt, but honestly, in his hundred plus years he had never really learned how to express what he was feeling very well. He hadn't had much practice, recently especially.

All he knew was that Kurt was special, and he deserved someone special. Not someone who showed up out of breath and late for their dinner together. He had called ahead and made reservations so Kurt should be seated already. The hostess showed him to the table and Blaine thanked her with a smile and a $20 to her palm. Then his eyes landed on Kurt.

Kurt with his shining chestnut hair and perfect pale skin, in a maroon suit jacket and pastel colored shirt, leaning on his elbow and looking as lovely as piece of art. Blaine cleared his throat and Kurt looked up from where he'd been scrolling through his phone.

"I'm so sorry I'm late," Blaine said and watched as Kurt's blue eyes crinkled up in a smile. "I brought you these." Blaine held out the bouquet of red roses he'd bought on his way and Kurt's smile only widened.

"You brought me roses." Kurt reached for the flowers as Blaine took a seat across from him.

Blaine couldn't help but grin at the enamored look on Kurt's face.

"Thank you so much," Kurt reached over to the empty seat next to him and lifted up a nearly identical bouquet of roses, "Turns out I got you flowers too."

Blaine's brows shot up in surprise before he started to laugh, taking the flowers from Kurt gratefully. "Please tell me you didn't stop at that little flower stall down the block."

"I did!" Kurt said happily. "You too?"

"Yes." Blaine smelled his roses for a moment, he couldn't remember the last time someone had bought flowers for him. "I guess we could have just bought ourselves flowers at this rate," he said with a chuckle.

"Don't say that," Kurt said, still holding his bouquet. "I love that these are from you."

They caught each other's eyes, and for a moment, Blaine was filled with such a deep desire to lean over the table and kiss him that he couldn't think of anything else. The moment passed as their waitress came to the table asking for drink orders. She noticed the flowers and gave them both _oh my god are you too cute_ looks before promising to see if she could bring out pitchers or something with water to keep the flowers fresh.

Blaine smiled and told her how much he appreciated it and thank you for keeping their table even though he was late for the reservation. When he turned back to Kurt, he found him beaming at him.

"What?" Blaine asked, "Did I do something wrong?"

"It's just that you are very good with people when you aren't really thinking about it. I think that waitress would bend over backwards for you."

"I don't know about that."

Kurt shook his head. "You said at the ball that people didn't want to get to know you, but I just can't see how that is true. You are so… kind."

Blaine's heart hammered against his chest. "Kind" was not a word often used to describe him. Was Kurt kidding? He felt his face harden and Kurt's eyebrows arched slightly in worry.

"Did _I_ say something wrong?"

"You mean that don't you?" Blaine asked as he watched Kurt's face, "That's actually how you see me?"

Kurt stretched his hand over the table and took Blaine's hand in his, swiping across it with his thumb. "I think you're a good man, Blaine. I really do. Do you disagree?"

"I haven't spent much time trying to be a good man." Blaine answered without thinking and then stopped. He used to, when his heartstone was first created Blaine had tried so hard to be good. He'd kept that up for nearly 70 years, until… until everything changed. Until he lost his connection to Cooper and decided he just didn't care anymore. "I used to try to be a good man." Blaine amended. "But not since I was younger."

"What changed?" Kurt tilted his head in curiosity, having no idea of the enormity of what he was asking and how little Blaine could answer that question without telling him things he just _couldn't_ tell him yet.

Blaine just shrugged, like he always did when he wasn't sure what to say.

Kurt let out a little sigh that made Blaine's heart sink. Kurt opened his mouth to speak just as the waitress brought them their wine, she took their orders and Kurt kept a hold of Blaine's hand but his face looked solemn. When they were alone again he met Blaine's eyes and smiled, but it didn't seem like a truly happy smile.

This was it then. Blaine had messed things up one too many times and Kurt was going to tell him he'd had enough.

"Blaine, I feel like I've made it pretty clear by now that I like you."

Blaine swallowed nervously.

"And you kept coming to the coffee shop to see me and even flew in from London to surprise me at the ball and that kiss was _obviously_ not one sided. So if I had to guess, I'd say you liked me too."

"I did. I _do_ , Kurt," Blaine said quickly; with all he couldn't say, he didn't want Kurt to have any doubt on that matter. He'd started to develop feelings for Kurt the first time he met him; he just didn't recognize what they were because it'd been too long since Blaine had felt this way. Or really it had been too long since he'd felt any emotion this strongly besides anger.

"Okay," Kurt said and nodded. "Then, I need the communication between you and me to go both ways. I tell you _everything_ about myself. Some would say too much." He smiled. "You know about the time I threw up on my school counselor's shoes because I went to school hung-over."

Blaine chuckled at that, he loved stories of Kurt growing up, except for the ones of Kurt being bullied. Kurt's life hadn't been idyllic, but it had been so full of love. Maybe that was why Kurt was such a compassionate person.

"Meaning, if you want things to work between us, you have to open up to me. Not about everything, but I want to know you, Blaine."

Kurt was looking at him so earnestly that Blaine felt a lump in his throat. "Okay." Blaine nodded slowly. "Okay, I can do that. What do you want to know?"

Kurt smiled and sat back in his chair. "Well, let's start with your family. I don't know anything about them."

Blaine only _just_ held back his groan, he could understand why Kurt thought that was an easy question, but it really, really wasn't. He had just agreed to open up though, "I know you have a good relationship with your dad," Blaine began. "My father was a good man too. Strong and protective of his family."

"Was?" Kurt asked, his eyes widening.

"He died; both of my parents died when I was very young. I don't remember them as much as I'd wish. They were brave and kind, and for a long time, I tried to live in a way that would make them proud."

Kurt's eyes were so expressive and right now they seemed to almost brim with tears, as if he was feeling more about this revelation than Blaine had in years. "I can't imagine losing both of my parents, I'm so sorry."

"It was a long time ago." Blaine did miss his parents, missed the lives they never got to have with each other, but it was an old wound, still there but he was use to carrying it.

"Who took care of you?"

"My older brother. He was only 17 but he raised me."

Kurt lifted his eyebrows, "I didn't know you had a brother. You must be close."

"No," Blaine said quickly. "We aren't."

"Oh." The conversation fell flat and Blaine was wracking his mind to think of something to say to show Kurt that he _was_ trying. He was given a little extra time when the waitress brought their food out.

"You asked when things changed for me," Blaine spoke up once she left. "When I stopped trying so hard. It was when my brother and I had our falling out, years ago. He… betrayed me. I decided then that no one was looking out for me so I had to look out for myself."

Kurt twirled some pasta around on his fork and nodded, he could tell Kurt was trying to think of what to say to that. "I'm sorry." He glanced up at Blaine with a compassionate look on his face. "I am so sorry you've felt that way for so long."

Blaine's shoulders sagged in relief, he had told Kurt something he never talked about and Kurt just accepted it, it felt… amazing. Maybe he could tell Kurt more, slowly, maybe it wouldn't be the end of everything if Kurt knew the truth. Not if Kurt still wanted him.

"What about friends? You must have friends you can count on?"

Blaine thought about that for a moment; he opened his mouth to answer and then shut it again. What friends did he really have? "Felix," he said knowing that was true. "I work with him and I trust him. Manual sells fruit at the corner outside my apartment, he's a good guy."

Kurt tilted his head and studied him for a moment. "I don't understand you sometimes."

"What? Why?" Blaine's heart felt tight in his chest again.

"It makes sense to me, why you help others and don't even realize you're doing it. It's because you feel no one is there for you so you are just naturally there for others-"

"I don't know if that's-"

"Don't fight me on this," Kurt said, playfully. "I think I'm a better judge of your character on this than you are at this point. What I _don't_ understand is how that hasn't garnered you friends. Do you not want people in your life?"

Blaine chewed on his lip and looked away.

"Sorry," Kurt added quickly. "That sounded much more judgmental than I meant. I just meant that I don't see how someone like you doesn't have a lot of people in his life. I've been lucky, I have a bunch of good friends I've known since highschool and my dad and step-mom are wonderful. I wish you had more of that."

Blaine looked back at Kurt and smiled. "I have you."

Kurt blushed a little, the color high on his cheeks, and it made Blaine's smile widen. "Yes, you do."

Kurt took over the conversation from there, seemingly realizing Blaine had shared a lot, he talked more about his glee club days and how much he loved New York. He talked about losing his mom and later his step-brother and Blaine felt guilt swirl in his stomach thinking about Cooper and how he still had a brother but had given up on him. Towards the end of dinner, Kurt seemed too hesitant, pushing the remains of his dessert around on his plate a little.

"Just ask," Blaine finally said, feeling Kurt's nerves. "You can ask whatever it is you're thinking."

"Um…" Kurt looked up at him. "You remember Richard Blackmon from the ball?"

"Your teacher's friend."

Kurt nodded. "You said you didn't know him."

"I do know him," Blaine answered. He might not tell Kurt everything, but he wasn't going to lie to him. "I just didn't say so at the time because he hadn't seemed to place me and I didn't think he'd appreciate me saying how we'd met."

"He talked to me later, after you left. He said… I should be careful around you. That you were trouble?"

"Oh." Blaine's heart sunk, it was just Blaine's luck that they would run into someone at the Broadway Ball who knew about Blaine's less than lawful activity. And that he'd go out of his way to warn Kurt.

"And I just wanted to hear your side of that," Kurt continued.

"Do you think I'm trouble?"

"I think _you_ think you're trouble," Kurt said with a coy smile, "But my gut is telling me there is more to you than that."

"I sold Blackmon a book," Blaine confessed.

"A book?" Kurt's brow furrowed in confusion.

"A rare book whose provenance was questionable. The transaction wasn't completely without illicitness, though I gave Blackmon a fair deal. Richard Blackmon got my name from someone who had done business with me before, and among certain clients, I have a… dubious reputation. Some of it I've earned and some of it I let people believe because it means they take me seriously and don't try to double cross me." Blaine shrugged. "Who knows what Blackmon heard about me or if it was true or not. I am _sometimes_ trouble, I guess." That was more than he'd meant to share, but it was better than letting Kurt come up with his own scenarios, and much better that the other things Kurt didn't know about him.

"Oh," Kurt said, and then a slow smile spread to his face. "That's all?"

"That's all Blackmon meant, Kurt."

"Not all of your business is legal?"

"Definitely not," Blaine said, wondering if that would be a deal-breaker for Kurt.

"But you don't sell drugs or guns or government secrets?" Kurt asked, and he was full-on smirking now.

"No. Just old, rare items mostly."

Kurt took the last bite of his cheesecake. "Well… I'm okay with that."

Blaine's heart felt like it started beating again. "Really?"

"I had kind of figured that out already."

Blaine sat up straight, leaning forward against the table. "So, I've answered your questions and passed the test?"

Kurt rolled his eyes playfully. "This wasn't a test, Blaine, it's a date. A date where two people get to know each other."

Blaine smiled and felt his heart flutter. Decades since he'd let himself go out on a date, and now he was here with Kurt talking more about himself than he ever did and falling _hard_. And Kurt was taking all of it in stride; he was actually enjoying Blaine's company.

After dinner, they decided to take a walk, carrying their bouquets of roses with them. It was a nice neighborhood and the evening was mild, Blaine didn't even feel that cold. After a long internal debate, Blaine pulled his free hand out of his pocket and reached for Kurt's. Kurt smiled at him and just squeezed his palm as he swung it back and forth between them happily-like holding Blaine's hand was the most natural thing in the world.

"Someday, will you tell me more about your brother?" Kurt asked softly once they'd been comfortably quiet for a little while.

"Cooper," Blaine said. "His name is Cooper, and yes… someday I hope to tell you _everything_." Blaine was settled with his decision; if he could, he really did want to tell Kurt everything one day.

Kurt lifted their clasped hands and placed a sweet kiss to Blaine's, making the breath shudder out of his lungs.

"I can wait," Kurt assured him.

They kissed outside of a Subway station before saying goodnight and Blaine let his lips linger, hoping to show Kurt in that kiss how much this time together meant to him. If Kurt's shining eyes were any indication, he understood. All evening, Blaine hadn't thought about his heartstone or the persistent danger nearing him at all.

All he could think about was Kurt as they kissed goodnight. All he could think of was Kurt as he rode the Subway home. And all he could think of was Kurt as he entered his apartment building, he didn't even notice the dark snarling figure across the street watching his every move.


	10. Chapter 9

**AN: Look at that I'm updating on the weekend! *happy dance*. I really like this chapter, we start getting some answers here, I hope you like it too. I want to thank my beta theatrevickifor always being so excited about this story - she keeps me excited too! And thank you all for your reviews or just for reading! I appreciate it!**

* * *

Kurt woke up with a smile on his face as he turned over in bed and enjoyed the gentle morning light filtering through his curtain and warming his skin. Spring was on its way, meaning he was busier than ever with school, but it also meant that there were days like this when the weather was actually becoming sunny and pleasant.

He got up from bed and opened the curtains, looking at the busy New York street below, even at this time on a Saturday morning people were already out in force. He caught his reflection in the window and saw that he was still smiling. It wasn't hard to figure out why, he'd woken up from a very agreeable dream of Blaine, made all the better by realizing that he was going to see Blaine that afternoon.

They had only been officially dating for about a month, but it seemed like longer than that because of all the time spent together leading up to their first date. He wished Mercedes were in town, he could use a good sit down with her so he could gush about Blaine. It was hard sometimes to have his best friend so far away; even if Mercedes did spend part of her time in New York, it wasn't enough. He had friends at NYADA despite the fact that Aaron still seemed to have a personal vendetta against him, but Kurt hadn't realized how lonely he'd been until he met Blaine.

He could only imagine how lonely Blaine felt. In all the dates they'd been in and time they'd spent together he'd come to realize that Blaine really did only seem to have one friend, and was friendly with a man that ran the fruit cart outside of his apartment. Sometimes when Kurt thought about how cold Blaine's life must be he felt a sympathetic shiver. Because of that he felt it was his responsibility to bring as much sunshine into Blaine's life as possible.

They'd had a wonderful past few weeks together seeing each other nearly every day, coffee dates and dinner dates and Blaine had even met him for lunch at school once to meet some of his classmates. Last night, they'd gone to the symphony and Kurt had enjoyed watching Blaine as much as he'd appreciated the music. Blaine seemed to transform when he listened to music: his face soft, his eyes bright and his body relaxed. He'd been so full of energy afterwards that Kurt could only laugh and think of how much Blaine had opened up, how different he was from the cold young man he'd first met.

Every goodbye was a kiss now, Blaine would stand close and hold Kurt's arms or cup his face and Kurt's heart would beat against his chest as Blaine's lips moved against his own. Every kiss made him shiver down to his toes. When they broke apart, Blaine would rub the pad of his thumb over Kurt's lips or just smile up at him through dark lashes and Kurt's stomach would leap. Kurt always knew that when he'd fall, he'd fall hard, and falling for Blaine was the greatest feeling in the world.

Kurt went to his little kitchen and started some coffee, already planning out what he was going to wear on his date with Blaine that afternoon. His phone pinged with an incoming message and he leaned against the counter, enjoying the smell of freshly ground coffee beans as he read. It was from a classmate that Kurt really only knew from his relationship with Aaron so he was surprised to be hearing from him.

 _Have you heard from Aaron lately?_

Kurt scrunched up his brows. Why would anyone think he was keeping tabs on Aaron these days?

No, not since the Broadway Ball

Kurt texted back, he really didn't want to be dragged into any more drama with Aaron; he was going to keep this conversation short.

 _He wasn't at school for the past few days. Didn't know if you'd seen him._

Kurt thought back to the past week at NYADA, and it was true, he didn't really remember seeing much of Aaron, which frankly was fine with him at this point. Still, it seemed that his friend was worried about him.

 _Sorry, he and I aren't in contact anymore._

 _Ok_

Kurt waited for more information but nothing else came in. He couldn't help but wonder what was going on with Aaron; they _had_ been friends at one point, and Kurt didn't hold anything against him. He shook his head and decided he needed to stay out of this, Aaron had plenty of friends who could look out for him. Friends who'd turned their back on Kurt after the break-up, yeah, he'd let them take care of whatever was going on.

Kurt poured himself a mug of coffee and didn't think about Aaron again as he eagerly counted down the hours until he got to see Blaine.

That afternoon, he met Blaine at Central Park. Kurt had heard that there was a student concert happening, and after seeing Blaine at the symphony, he really wanted to listen to more music with him. Kurt brought a blanket and a basket of food and started laying everything out; it was still kind of chilly for an outdoor concert, but Kurt had thought to bring an extra blanket for them to wrap up in.

Blaine watched him intently as Kurt set everything up for them. Kurt looked up and smiled at him, Blaine's eyes were warm and his lips tipped in a smile. He took a step forward and started to reach for Kurt, but then held a hand up as he started to cough into his elbow.

"Are you okay?" Kurt asked. "Is it too cold out here?" He knew that Blaine seemed to be perpetually cold, but he planned on taking care of that by sitting very, very close to him.

Blaine just shook his head and took the step forward he needed to reach Kurt; he wrapped his arms around him, hands resting on Kurt's lower back as he pulled him in close. "This is lovely," Blaine said in a whisper.

Kurt closed the space between them and brought their lips together. He melted against Blaine's firm chest and brought his arms up around his shoulders as one of Blaine's hands moved slowly up his back to cup the back of his head.

"Don't… mess up…"Kurt panted as he kissed Blaine. "My… hair…"

"I wouldn't dream of it," Blaine murmured and broke the kiss with a grin, taking a tiny step backwards but still holding on to Kurt.

Kurt brushed his thumbs under Blaine's eyes, there were dark circles there that had become more pronounced in the last week or so. Blaine was always happy and energetic when they were together recently, but he didn't look like he felt well. "Are you sure you're feeling alright? We don't have to be outside if you're getting sick."

"I don't get sick."

" _Blaine_ ," Kurt said sternly.

"Really. I don't." Blaine smiled and leaned in to press another soft kiss to his lips. "Sometimes when I'm with you I can't believe this is happening," he whispered. "I don't deserve someone like you."

Kurt smiled, taking in Blaine's golden eyes, his kiss-pink lips and the dark curls poking out from under the beanie he was wearing. "I think you deserve so many good things, Blaine."

Blaine bumped his forehead off Kurt's and grinned before grabbing his hand and pulling him down onto the blanket with him. He sat so that Kurt fit perfectly between his legs, his back leaning against Blaine's chest. Kurt reached over for the extra blanket and they wrapped themselves together in it as the musicians started tuning their instruments.

They ate the finger foods Kurt had packed and Kurt leaned his head back against Blaine as they listened to the music. They talked a little about Kurt's projects at school and a custom accessory he was making for a customer online, everything sweet and light between them. Kurt curled their fingers together over his stomach where Blaine was hugging him close. Kurt's heart squeezed happily in his chest, it was moments like this that he wanted to last forever.

"How was your trip to London?" Kurt asked in what he hoped was a nonchalant way. Blaine hadn't talked about his London trip at all, and even though it was weeks ago and Kurt really was dying to know. Before he'd left, Blaine had said he was close to finding something he'd wanted for a long time, and he hadn't mentioned it since. Blaine was so relaxed this afternoon that Kurt thought it might be a good time to try this subject.

"Fine," Blaine answered, and Kurt couldn't see his face to tell what he really meant.

"Did you find what you were looking for?"

Blaine shifted behind him a bit. "No. Not yet."

"Any leads? I know it's important to you… Whatever it is."

"A stone," Blaine answered and then was quiet for so long that Kurt thought he wasn't going to say any more. "It belongs to me, but Cooper… lost it. I've been looking for it for years."

Kurt nodded as he mulled over this new information. "Was that the reason you two had a falling out?"

"It was a big part of it," Blaine said, Kurt noticed that his posture had stiffened against him and he was nervously playing with their fingers.

Kurt turned his head to look at him. "We don't have to talk about this."

"No, it's okay," Blaine answered, kissing the tip of Kurt's nose. "What do you want to know?"

"A stone?" Kurt asked, going for an easier question than pursuing information about Cooper. "Like a gemstone?"

"No." Blaine shook his head. "It's… it's called a heartstone. They are… rare. It's hard to explain." Blaine's expression was difficult to read, he was looking at him with such intensity, almost as if he expected Kurt to react to this information in some grand way.

"Huh," Kurt said, leaning back against him, thinking. "A heartstone?"

"Have you… heard of that before?"

Kurt shook his head. "No, but I hope you find it, Blaine."

Blaine just nodded against him, and as they continued to listen to music, his posture slowly started to relax again.

Kurt made a mental note to look up what a heartstone was later.

After the concert, Blaine helped Kurt pack up his things. "I had a _very_ nice time," Blaine said, kissing Kurt's cheek. "How busy are you with school work tomorrow?"

Kurt smiled at him. "I can make room for you _I suppose_ , aren't we going to grab some dinner now though?"

Blaine's smile faded a little. "I'm going to have to cut our date short."

"I thought you were free for the rest of the day?"

Blaine sighed and chewed his lip and Kurt could tell he was deciding if he was going to explain something or not. "Something came up."

Apparently he wasn't going to explain.

Kurt nodded, but something uneasy was settling in his stomach. It wasn't that he thought Blaine was avoiding him or not being honest, but there was just something off about his expression. Kurt just wanted the whole truth and Blaine always seemed so good at dodging and weaving away from certain subjects.

"Okay," Kurt said, trying not to show his disappointment. "Will I talk to you later this evening?"

"Of course." Blaine always made a point of calling him before bed, a habit Kurt had grown quickly fond of.

They walked to the Subway station together where Kurt kissed him, letting his hands pull him close, and his fingers pressing against Blaine's back. When they broke apart, Blaine's cheeks had more color in them and his eyes were sparkling. They said goodbye and Kurt stood with his hands in his pockets as he watched Blaine leave.

He chewed his lip as an idea started prickling in his mind. _You should follow him._ Kurt ignored the thought, he wasn't that kind of person. He didn't trail the man he was dating. Still… once the idea was in his head, he couldn't silence it. He could see for himself, once and for all, what was going on with Blaine.

"Kurt you are _so_ going to regret this," he mumbled to himself as he gripped the picnic basket he was carrying and quickly made his way down the stairs to the subway station, making it just in time to see which way Blaine went. He swiped his metro card and followed a little ways behind him, getting in a different car than Blaine had, but close enough so he could still see him through the little door windows. This was such a _bad_ idea, what was he doing?

The train stopped several times, people getting on and off, until he finally saw Blaine moving towards the doors. They opened and Blaine stood aside for a dad and his kids and then exited himself. Kurt followed behind him, every step he took, he almost turned around; he shouldn't be doing this, but something was drawing him forward. The need for answers. The desire for the rest of the story he _knew_ Blaine wasn't telling him. His heart was starting to belong more and more to Blaine and he just needed to know beyond a shadow of a doubt, who this man was that he was falling for.

Kurt followed a few yards behind Blaine block after block, almost losing him once when they got to a place with so few people Kurt had to hang back. Every step he took, he felt more guilty and embarrassed that he was doing this, but he'd gone this far and his stubborn side wouldn't let him stop now.

They were in a part of the city Kurt had never been to; it was old and run-down and even seemed colder somehow. He continued following until Blaine reached the ruins of an old church, crumbling gray stone walls and the ceiling sagging in the one corner that even still had a ceiling. Kurt could imagine what this place must have looked like in its glory days and it would have been beautiful, but it was sad and forlorn now. It even seemed dangerous to walk through, like it could fall down on top of you at any moment.

He stood behind a half crumbled wall and watched as Blane went through a wooden door. Kurt's heart was racing by now. What kind of place was this? And why would Blaine be here? His guilt over following Blaine was overrun by worry, nothing good could be happening in a place like this.

He hurried forward, opening the door Blaine had gone through, to find a narrow hallway that led… nowhere. Kurt walked to the end, there were no doors anywhere, yet Blaine wasn't here. It was as if he'd suddenly disappeared.

Kurt swallowed deeply and was considering calling Blaine's phone when he took a step forward and heard the ground creak; the hall's floor was made with stone, except for where Kurt was standing, it was made of wood. He looked closer and saw that it was a hatch. He moved to the side and knelt down to pull it open; he noticed there was a keyhole, so as Kurt tugged on the handle, he just hoped it wasn't locked. Thankfully, it did open with some effort, and Kurt found himself looking at a staircase leading down into darkness. If he didn't know that Blaine _had_ to have just gone this way, he probably wouldn't have had the nerve to go down there. As it was, he felt propelled forward, he'd come too far to turn back now and he really was growing concerned for Blaine.

He held his phone high for light and looped his basket over his arm so he could let one hand trail against the cold stone wall as he made his way down. At the bottom was another short dark hallway that smelled of dirt and moss, a thick, old wood door at the end.

Kurt took a deep breath and tugged the handle but the door didn't budge. Kurt took a step back and raised his phone to get a better look. He gasped and his heart leapt in his chest, just barely holding back a shout of fear. There on the door was a gruesome looking creature carved out of iron, grisly and snarling with sparkling red eyes that seemed to bore into Kurt. Kurt swallowed uneasily. He'd seen this creature before, he'd _sketched it_ in his sketch book.

Kurt clenched his jaw, thoughts tumbling around in his head as he tried to figure out how this was possible. With his heart racing, Kurt raised his hand and let his fingers run over the cool metal of the creature's face. A shiver ran through him. He jumped back and let out a shout of surprise as a voice he didn't recognize shouted at him through the door.

"I know you're out there!"

* * *

Blaine hated that he had to cut his time with Kurt short, but he really needed to talk to Felix. He hopped on a train and then hunched his shoulders against the cold as he walked the rest of the way to the church.

He and Kurt had been going out for a little while now and Blaine hadn't yet found the courage to ask Kurt about his heartstone. In fact, he found himself thinking about his heartstone and his worries less and less as Kurt filled more of his thoughts. Then, this afternoon it had just come out. He hadn't actually asked him about the stone, but he had mentioned it and the word hadn't seemed to mean _anything_ to Kurt.

He honestly couldn't decide if he was disappointed or relieved. He took a breath and it seemed to rattle in his chest. He covered his mouth with an arm as a cough shook his body. He was glad Felix's place was always so warm, he was ready to be out of the cold.

He used his key to open the trap door and then walked down the hallway without using a light, he knew the path well. He rapped on the door with the pattern Felix liked him to use and was soon greeted by the sound of Felix unlocking his locks.

Felix opened the door and smiled at him, but as he ushered him in, his smile started to slip. "You are looking more and more like your name Blaine son of Ander. Thin. Are you ill?"

Blaine rolled his eyes. "I don't get sick."

"You look like you are about to topple over."

"I just need to warm up, Felix. Maybe some wine?"

"Mmm, yes. That does warm the bones."

Felix grabbed some mugs and the wine and set them out on the table. "I didn't expect you today," Felix said, pulling out the cork.

"I was with Kurt."

"With your boy, as usual." Felix smirked.

"He isn't a boy, he's a gown man." Blaine said, ignoring Felix's teasing expression. "And I mentioned the heartstone to him."

Felix looked up from the wine he was pouring, eyebrows raised. "And?"

"And... nothing…" Blaine paused in his explanation as Felix's hand shot to the air silencing him.

"What was that?" Felix said under his breath and the hairs on the back of Blaine's neck stood on end.

Felix moved swiftly and smoothly, especially for a man of his girth, to a cabinet behind him and pulled out a shotgun. Blaine stared at him in surprise, he'd never seen Felix with a weapon before.

Felix stepped from behind the table and walked to the door, leveling the gun with what would be about chest level for an average man. "There's someone out there," Felix whispered and Blaine's heart sped up.

If someone was here without Felix's approval it really couldn't be good. How could they have even gotten here? The trap door was locked and… Blaine groaned. He'd been so intent on seeing Felix, he hadn't locked it behind him. Whoever was outside that door—it was Blaine's fault.

Felix pumped the barrel of the gun, ready to shoot the person who was on the other side of that door before they had a chance to try and get in. Blaine let out a low breath, he didn't like violence, but he'd used it himself and was having a hard time thinking of a way to convince Felix not to use it now.

"I know you're out there!" Felix called.

There was beat of silence and then a familiar voice came through the door.

"Blaine? Are… are you there?"

Blaine's heart leapt to his throat and suddenly he felt sick. He sprinted forward without even thinking about it, putting himself between the door and Felix's gun without a moment's hesitation. He lifted his hand and the gun flew out of Felix's hands without him even having to touch it. "It's Kurt!" Blaine said, raising his hands up in surrender as Felix swore under his breath and grabbed the shotgun off the floor. "Please, Felix, don't shoot."

Felix immediately lowered his weapon. "I could have shot you!" He said angrily.

"You could have shot _him_." Blaine swallowed hard, his breathing still too fast. He'd almost just stood there while Felix shot _Kurt_. He turned to the door, trusting that Felix wasn't going to use the gun, and leaned his head against the wood. "Kurt?" He called.

"Blaine! Are you okay?"

Blaine straightened up, yes of course he was okay, besides the miniature panic attack he'd almost just had. He turned back to Felix in question.

"Yes, yes. Let him in. I've been wanting to meet your boy anyway."

"He's not a boy," Blaine mumbled under his breath as he started to unlock the many locks on the door.

As soon as he saw Kurt standing there, expression worried and fingers twisting together nervously, all the air left Blaine's lungs; he immediately rushed forward and wrapped Kurt in a tight hug. Kurt seemed to stiffen in surprise, but then he wrapped his arms around Blaine as well. "What the hell are you doing here, Kurt?"

Kurt took a step back to look him in the eyes. "I… um… followed you?" Kurt said lifting his shoulders. "I know I shouldn't have, it was wrong. But I… you left so quickly this afternoon and I just want to know what is going on with you and then when I saw where you were heading I got _worried_. And I'm sorry." Kurt ran his hand across his brow and sighed in frustration. "I messed up."

Blaine was at a loss for words, he was beyond surprised to see Kurt here, but he wasn't angry. In fact, it felt strangely right to finally introduce Kurt to this other side of him. His pulse was finally slowing from having Kurt a breath away from a danger that Kurt didn't even know he'd been in.

"You followed me?" Blaine said, trying to understand that. He was seriously distracted today, normally no one would be able to trail him without his knowledge.

"I'm sorry," Kurt repeated.

Blaine shook his head, trying to think of how to explain this place and how to introduce him to Felix. Felix! Blaine turned around to see no sign of the shotgun, Felix must have put it away, Blaine spotted him at a cupboard pulling out a third mug.

"Come in come in," Felix called with a smile. "Lock the door behind you."

Blaine motioned for Kurt to enter and then locked all the locks. When he turned back to Kurt, he was standing in the center of the room taking it all in. The low ceiling and the golden lights on the walls, all the furniture and cabinets made of wood, the odd trinkets and bottles on the shelves. Blaine couldn't help but smile at the wonder on Kurt's face, and his beautiful eyes were almost green in this light.

"What is this place?"

"It's my home!" Felix spoke up happily.

Blaine moved to stand next to Kurt, taking his hand. Kurt looked down at their clasped fingers and then back up to smile at Blaine in relief. "You're not mad at me?"

"No." Blaine shook his head. "I'm not." He wasn't either, he'd been keeping things from Kurt for so long, and slowly his secrets were coming to light. It felt like a weight off of his shoulders. "I guess I had this coming with always being so secretive."

Kurt squeezed Blaine's fingers and smiled as Blaine nodded towards Felix, "Kurt, this is my friend Felix."

Both Felix and Kurt beamed at each other before Kurt dropped Blaine's hand to extend it to Felix to shake. "It's nice to finally meet you," Kurt said, and Felix laughed and pumped his hand.

"You have no idea how much I've wanted to make your acquaintance, young man. Blaine speaks of little else."

" _Felix_." Blaine murmured and he could feel his cheeks heating up.

Felix ignored him. "Kurt. German for bold counsel and honest advisor," Felix continued. "It is a genuine pleasure to meet you."

"You know what my name means?" Kurt asked, arching an eyebrow, but he still seemed a little on edge as he shuffled his weight back and forth on his feet.

Blaine sighed and shook his head. "It's a thing Felix does, he always seems to know what everyone's name means and then he repeats it _ad nauseum_." He placed his hand on Kurt's lower back, hoping to reassure him. This all had to be strange and unexpected for Kurt.

"Don't be rude," Felix said, but he was still smiling. "Have a seat boys, I'll pour some more wine."

Blaine pulled out a stool at the table for Kurt and then sat next to him.

"You called me your friend when you introduced me," Felix said as a broad smile covered his face and he passed out mugs of wine.

Kurt looked back and forth between the two of them. "When I asked him about friends, he told me about you." He took a sip of his wine and seemed to start to relax.

"He pretends not to need anyone, you know," Felix said, leaning his elbows on the table and talking only to Kurt. "But it is good to know he thinks of me as a confidant."

"You don't have to talk about me like I'm not here," Blaine muttered, but both Kurt and Felix just continued on.

"So you…live here? Under the ruins of an old church?"

"Why not? I like my privacy and it is cozy."

Kurt nodded, looking around again, and his eyes landed on what could have been a shrunken head on Felix's shelf. "Right." He glanced at Blaine who smiled encouragingly at him. "So, Felix," Kurt said turning back to him. "Felix who knows what everyone's names mean. What does Felix mean?"

Felix put down his mug as if in surprise. "You want to know what _my_ name means?"

"Of course."

Felix smiled so broadly he was practically baring his teeth. "It's Latin meaning happy, lucky or fortunate."

"That's a good name."

"It is! That's why I picked it for myself." Felix was still beaming as he sipped some more wine. "You know, in all the years I've known Blaine, he has never asked me that?"

"Are you kidding? How could he not?" Kurt glanced at Blaine reproachfully.

"I just… I never actually…." Blaine rubbed the back of his neck, feeling awkward. How was it that Kurt and Felix had just met, but _he_ felt out of place? Kurt and Felix both laughed and Blaine chuckled at them. It wasn't actually so bad that Kurt and Felix were getting along. "It is a very fitting name though, Felix. You chose well."

"Thank you my _friend_." Felix lifted his mug and tapped it against Blaine's.

"Okay, there are so many questions I have to ask," Kurt said, watching them. "And are there many places like this, hidden homes under the city?"

"More than you might think."

"You two do _business_ together?"

"Felix often knows buyers and is a collector himself. He also sometimes makes trades for me that I wouldn't be able to make and he's trustworthy." Blaine explained.

"And there is no one better at acquiring items than Blaine, so it is always exciting to work with him," Felix said, going to top off Kurt's mug, Kurt putting his hand over it to politely turn him down. Felix was a heavy drinker and it didn't seem to faze him much and he always thought others should drink as much as he did. "The only thing I haven't been able to help Blaine find is his heartstone," Felix added and Blaine shot him a glare.

"You know about that?" Kurt asked. "He only just mentioned it to me."

"The question is." Felix leaned forward again. "What do _you_ know about it my boy?"

"Felix, don't," Blaine warned.

Kurt just looked back and forth between them, puzzled. "Nothing really. I know that his brother lost it and that Blaine has been looking for it for years."

"Cooper didn't _lose_ it," Felix said, taking a swig of wine, and okay maybe his drinking was affecting him more than Blaine guessed, his tongue certainly seemed to be loosened. "The bastard stole it and then _hid it_. What was it? Nearly 20 years ago now?"

"Felix, that's enough," Blaine warned him sternly. He was always careful not to mention exact time frames to Kurt, the math wouldn't make sense, plus Felix seemed on the edge of telling him everything.

"Cooper is a piece of work, taking your heartstone with no regard to the fact that it puts your life in danger to not know where it is."

Blaine stared at Felix incredulously, until it clicked; Felix wasn't drunk, he was acting like he was as an excuse to give Kurt information.

"Danger?" Kurt focused on that detail like Felix must have known he would. "How does that put Blaine in danger?" He looked at Blaine and he could see worry behind Kurt's eyes.

"It's nothing." Blaine said, getting up from his stool. "I think we're going to go," Blaine said, giving Felix a pointed looked.

"But…" Kurt looked back at Felix again who shrugged at him, apparently realizing he'd pushed his limits. Kurt got up and started following Blaine, but before he got to the door, Kurt stopped and turned back to Felix. "Wait! I had another question for you."

Felix glanced at Blaine briefly, "Sure, what is it?"

"It's about your door knocker? What _is_ that thing?"

Felix didn't answer but instead looked at Blaine to say something.

Blaine furrowed his brow not wanting to talk about it, but answered the question. "It's a Dontizu." Kurt just continued to look at him in confusion and Blaine sighed and continued. "A Dontizu is an ancient creature that feeds off the life force of others. They are vicious and deadly."

"Why would anyone have that on their door?"

Felix spoke up now. "To ward them off! It is an old superstition that a Dontizu leaves alone dwellings with their image on it. I don't know if it works, but it doesn't hurt to try. And I've never had one here, so…" He winked.

"Okay…" Kurt seemed even more confused, but Blaine just tugged on his hand as Felix followed them to the door to lock it behind them. They said goodbye and Felix reiterated how nice it was to meet Kurt and then they were back on the surface walking through the old church ruins.

"Felix certainly is a character," Kurt said as they continued to hold hands. "What did he mean about you being in danger? And what about those Dontizu things, he doesn't actually believe in them, does he?"

"He does. So do I," Blaine answered, his throat dry, nervous about Kurt's reaction, but knowing there was no need to deny what he hoped to one day explain in full to Kurt. "They've been around for centuries, they are what many folklores are based on. Wendigos. Werewolves. Hell hounds."

"Right… but they're still just folklore."

Blaine stopped and looked Kurt in the eye, he licked his lips and took a deep breath. Maybe if Kurt could understand this part of the story, it would pave the way for Blaine to confide more. "There are things in the world that are difficult to explain, things most people don't even know exist. Dontizu are one of those things. I don't just believe they're real, I know they are."

Kurt stood with his mouth open for a long moment and Blaine held his hand, internally _pleading_ that this wouldn't be something that pulled Kurt away from him.

"But they're _magical_ creatures, right?" Kurt finally said.

"Yes."

"So you're saying you believe in magic?" Kurt was looking at him helplessly, like he was trying hard to understand.

Blaine sighed and lifted Kurt's hand to his mouth and placed a soft kiss to it. "Please don't think I'm crazy."

Kurt cleared his throat and shook his head before speaking, and when he did, his voice was cautious. "I don't think you're crazy, I'm just having a hard time understanding this... You think _magic_ is real. That mystical creatures exist."

"Yes. There are other magical things as well…" He trailed off and watched Kurt's face, wondering how much to say.

"Like what? This heartstone of yours, is that meant to be magic too?" Kurt wasn't mocking him, he just seemed genuinely perplexed.

Blaine nodded, "Yes." His chest started to tighten, Kurt wasn't buying it. And why should he? He'd probably never seen anything that would suggest to him that there was magic in the world.

"Right." Kurt's face that was normally so easy to read was a blank canvas and Blaine didn't know how much he might be freaking out.

"So… I…" Kurt used his free hand to rub down his face and didn't finish his sentence, he seemed to be at a loss for words.

"Come here." Blaine tugged on his hand and led him to a stone wall crumpled low enough for them to sit on. They sat next to each other and Blaine took a deep breath. He'd gone too far to turn back now. "Do you trust me, Kurt?"

"Yes. I do, of course I do." Kurt answered quickly even as he tried to smile.

"Okay then…" Blaine let go of Kurt's hand and got off the stone ledge to kneel on the ground. There were traces of snow in the shadows that still hadn't melted even though the day had been fairly warm. Blaine held his hands over the snow and didn't look at Kurt, worried about his reaction. Instead, he watched the snow as it started to break apart and lift to the air, individual snowflakes floating and swirling like mist in the wind. Blaine stood as the snow rose and continued to spin around until it was a small harmless cyclone of snowflakes dancing around him and Kurt.

This was easy magic, but Blaine rarely used magic anymore these days and he knew Kurt was watching so his heart was pounding heavy against his ribcage. The snowflakes started sparkling silver and catching the sunlight looking more like twinkling glitter than snow, it was actually quite beautiful. Blaine caused the snow to float and spin for a moment before he let them melt and fade away and he was left standing on a patch of dead grass with no snow around them anymore. He steeled himself and finally let himself glance at Kurt.

Kurt was sitting ramrod straight, his eyes wide and startled and a hand over his mouth.

"Kurt?" Blaine asked tentatively and sat back down next to him, taking it as a good sign that Kurt didn't flinch away. Or maybe he was too much in shock. Kurt stared at Blaine nearly unblinking.

" _Oh my god._ H-how…?" Kurt asked from behind his hand.

"I may have… a little bit of magic," Blaine said and smiled at him, hoping to come off reassuring.

"You…" Kurt lowered his hand, but his face was pale and his eyes still round. He stood up abruptly from the wall. "I have to go."

"Kurt please-"

"No, I have to go. _Now_."

"Okay," Blaine answered gently. "Okay, I understand."

Kurt nodded and grabbed his picnic basket that he was still carrying around from earlier in the day and then turned on his heels, not exactly running away but walking _very_ quickly. Blaine wanted to chase after him, but he knew that wouldn't help. He would give Kurt time to process what just happened and then talk to him again soon. It would all work out, it would be okay. Blaine sat back down on the wall and started to cough again, worry filling his chest. Please let it be okay.


	11. Chapter 10

**AN: Again sorry about the wait for this chapter - I'm catching up to the chapters I had pre-written which means I have to start cracking down on myself so we can keep to weekly updates! I am going to try really hard! Thanks again to theatrevicki who is such a huge support to me. I hope you all enjoy this chapter and happy Thanksgiving to those of you who celebrate that!**

* * *

Kurt felt panicky, like a small fluttering bird was trapped behind his ribcage. He rushed away from the ruined church leaving Blaine behind and quickly caught a train back home. Once at his apartment, he hurried to shut and lock his door behind him. He was breathing heavily as if something was chasing his heels. Kurt sighed and then slid down the door until he was on the ground, only now that he was safe in his apartment could he push the image of the snapping teeth of some dreadful creature out of his head.

He was shaking and couldn't make himself stop; it was as if his whole world had been tilted sideways. He covered his face with his hands and took a few deep breaths as he pictured Blaine standing among the ruins of that old church, eyes sparkling as snow swirled around him like dancing glitter. It had been gorgeous, _Blaine_ had been gorgeous, but all Kurt could feel in that moment was shock and fear.

There was, of course, the chance that this was all some kind of elaborate prank; when looked at rationally, that seemed more likely than there being _actual magic_ in the world. However, when the twinkling snow had melted and Blaine turned around and looked at him, there was so much apprehension in his eyes. Blaine's expression in itself was almost more evidence than the dancing snow had been. Blaine wouldn't lie to him like that, he wouldn't deceive him. Meaning that if it wasn't a trick and Kurt wasn't losing his mind, then magic was _real_.

Kurt took another shuddering breath before he forced himself to get up off of the floor. He turned and looked back down at his picnic basket, pulling out the blanket he and Blaine had been cuddled in just that afternoon. Everything had changed since then; how Kurt viewed the world was irrevocably altered now. There was magic, real magic, and somehow his boyfriend was mixed up with it.

His boyfriend.

Kurt hadn't actually called Blaine _boyfriend_ out loud yet, though he longed to. He _felt_ like they were boyfriends; in fact, sometimes it felt so much more than that. He'd known Blaine for a few months now and he'd quickly become a huge part of Kurt's life. Kurt could easily admit that he had strong feelings for Blaine… but now... Now everything was different, the world was different.

Kurt took the blanket with him as he plopped down on his couch, hugging it to his chest as his mind raced a mile a minute. He just couldn't wrap his head around the fact that this man he'd come to care for so deeply was something he couldn't even understand.

 _I may have a little bit of magic_.

That's what Blaine had said. _I may have a little bit of magic_. As if that fact didn't change everything. Kurt clutched at the blanket and thought about the fear in Blaine's eyes as he looked to see Kurt's reaction to his magic. Blaine wasn't afraid of the supernatural, but he seemed afraid of Kurt's response to it.

Kurt got up from the couch and made dinner before he attempted to eat at his counter in the kitchen, but mostly he just pushed his food around on his plate. He walked around the living room a little bit, mindlessly tidying and then sat down with his sketch book. Sketching was usually a good stress relief for him, but as he opened the book, of course it landed on the page where he'd drawn one of those… what was it? Those _Dontizu_ creatures. Kurt shut the book and quickly tossed it away from him.

Kurt really needed to talk to someone and pushed away the thought that he wanted to talk to Blaine. Instead he grabbed his phone and dialed Mercedes. The phone rang a few times before he heard the cheerful and always reassuring voice of his friend on the other end.

"Kurt! How are you? It's been to long since we talked!"

Kurt smiled at his Mercedes' enthusiasm, he so missed living closer to her. He tried to just talk about nothing for a while. School and his business and even the weather, but Mercedes knew him too well.

"Uh huh," Mercedes interrupted once Kurt started chatting about how the days were getting warmer "And when are you going to tell me what you called about?"

Kurt bit his lip trying to think of what he could even say, it wasn't like he could blurt out, _You know Blaine who I talk about all the time? The one I'm crazy over? Yeah, apparently he_ has a little magic _!_ "I guess… I'm… something happened, with Blaine."

"Blaine?" Mercedes' sweet voice hardened. "What did he do?"

"No no. Nothing… bad." _Nothing bad_ , Kurt thought, _just shocking and a terrifying,_ but even with all the confusion in his mind Kurt knew he didn't want Mercedes to think poorly of Blaine. "He just… I found out something about him that was…. Not what I expected."

"Right" Mercedes answered slowly. "This is the guy that blew you off when you first met him and now he is pulling something else? I told you from the beginning if he pulled anymore crap like that he didn't get a second chance."

"It isn't like that I swear… I just learned something really big and surprising about him."

"Okay… Are you going to expound on that?"

Kurt was quite a long time, trying to think this through, if he told his Mercedes Blaine was dangerous then she would be worried and tell him not to see Blaine anymore. And it wasn't that Kurt thought Blaine himself was dangerous, not really… it was just so complicated.

"It's complicated." Kurt said out loud. "I don't… I'm not sure what to do."

"Kurt." Mercedes' voice was firm. "I don't know what to tell you… do you trust him?"

Kurt nodded and then let out a sigh, "I want to. I care about him a lot"

He heard Mercedes sigh as well. "I wish I'd had a chance to meet him when I was in town, but I don't know the guy so it is hard for me to say anything. But Kurt? I do know _you_ and when you fall you fall hard. I wouldn't want you to be blinded by your feelings for this guy if he isn't right for you. If he is keeping things from you."

Kurt remembered the way Blaine had been so worried after he showed Kurt his magic and how he had just run away not letting Blaine explain. "I don't think it is like that I… I think he is a good person. I know he is."

Mercedes didn't answer at first and Kurt could just picture her narrowing her eyes and pouting her lips in thought. "I know this about you too Kurt, you are a good judge of character. I trust you and your instincts. If you really care about him then I guess you have to find a way to work though this new surprising information, whatever it is."

Kurt smiled at that. "Yeah… maybe. Thanks Mercedes."

They didn't talk much more after that and when Kurt hung up he didn't have any better direction on what to do about Blaine but he did at least feel a little less panicked. He still felt restless though and decided to call it an early night; he was climbing into bed when his phone pinged with an incoming message.

 _I said earlier I would call you this evening and I would love to, but I also didn't want to intrude if you needed some time._

Kurt bit back a smile; even when he was upset, hearing from Blaine made his heart flutter pleasantly. Kurt always looked forward to their evening phone calls, but he couldn't think of anything to say to Blaine right now.

 _Please don't call. Not yet._ Kurt texted back.

It was a few minutes before he got a response. _Of course. I understand. I'm sorry Kurt, I didn't mean to scare you._

Kurt drew in a breath and wiped at his stinging eyes before putting his phone on his nightstand. He wanted to talk to Blaine, but he couldn't deal with all of this right now.

Over the next several days, Kurt didn't hear anything from Blaine; he assumed it was because he needed some distance and Blaine was respecting that. Kurt was still trying to work out how he felt about the shocking information he'd received. There was magic in the world, there were terrifying creatures that fed on people's souls, and somehow Blaine was in danger because he'd lost a magical stone? It was insane. With everything in Kurt's mind what surprised him the most was that even though he couldn't understand it all, he believed it.

A week ago, Kurt would have scoffed at any of this, but there was something about the Dontizu – he believed those were real and he had a horrible feeling they were close. He built up the courage to look in his sketch book again; he spent a long time studying the creature he'd drawn there, matted fur and sharp fangs and piercing eyes. He didn't understand how he'd known about these things before he ever saw that door knocker or heard the word Dontizu, but as his fingers traced over the harsh looking creature he'd drawn, he believed.

Kurt closed his eyes and thought about Blaine and the magic he'd shown him. Kurt had a huge choice to make; he could put this all behind him and pretend that he'd never learned these frightening truths about the world - or he could forage ahead with this knowledge and whatever came with it next. The latter meant a frightening unknown, but the former meant losing Blaine. How could he turn his back on all of this without also turning his back on Blaine? And how could he turn his back on Blaine when Felix said he was in danger?

He couldn't. That was the simple answer; he was in too deep with Blaine to give him up now. Mercedes had asked if he trusted Blaine and he did, he didn't trust he knew everything about him, but he did trust Baine's intent, his heart. And most of all he didn't want to lose Blaine, even going through these last few days without him had been hard. He _missed_ Blaine. He missed his laugh and his soft smile and the rich tenor of his voice and the way he made Kurt feel safe and… and loved?

Kurt put the sketch book away and grabbed his phone, pulling up Blaine's number and looking down at the picture of him. Being with Blaine meant facing this new reality about the world, and if he was going to do that he was going to learn as much about it as he could. He put the phone away, he wasn't ready to call yet.

He started his search with the internet and when that only gave him very vague lore about the Dontizu, that they may be some kind of shapeshifter and some information said they ate hearts, while others said they sucked out a person's soul. None of it seemed verified, it was just people guessing. He found nothing at all about heartstones.

Kurt brought his search to the New York Public Library. He sat at a polished wood table in the Rose Reading Room, with its high painted ceiling and large windows lining the wall. Kurt wasn't really paying attention to the beauty of the room, though. His nose was stuck in a Polish book published in 1914 on werewolves and lycanthropy. He was struggling through it with his iPad open to help with translating. The only interesting thing he found was a footnote about a creature that feed on human hearts to gain immortality. He had no idea if that was related to the lore he'd found on the Dontizu though.

He found more old books on mythical creatures and folklore than he'd expected, but few mentions of Dontizu. He had also flipped through several manuscripts on stones and their use in magic and rituals, but so far he hadn't found anything about a heartstone or even anything at all that could give him a concrete idea on what was going on.

He shut the book in frustration, probably a little too loudly if the faces turning towards him were any indication. He ignored them and rested his head in his hands. He was getting nowhere; there was endless information out there, but he didn't know what was real and what was fiction. He knew that if he really wanted to learn, he already had a source. Blaine. Blaine knew, Blaine could tell him. Still, he wasn't sure he was ready to face him yet.

He left the library with a book on sacred stones that he didn't actually think was going to help him, but he needed to do _something_. Kurt headed home feeling tired and with a pounding headache behind his eyes.

He flopped down at his work table and opened the book to a random page. After reading a little, he got up and made some coffee to try to help clear his mind. The fact was that he missed Blaine and Blaine had answers for him so why wasn't he just calling Blaine? He shook his head, frustrated with himself, and walked back to his table, sipping coffee and flipping through the book on stones and skimming the pages. He stopped on an entry about something called the _Star Ruby_. He didn't think this had anything to do with Blaine's stone, Blaine had said it wasn't a gemstone, but something about the picture of a red stone loosened a memory.

In his mind, he could clearly picture a red smooth stone that was warm to the touch.

No. That was _impossible_.

Kurt put his mug down on the table and rushed to his closet, almost tripping over his own feet in his eagerness. He got up on his toes and pulled down the hat box that he'd looked in weeks ago now. He sat on the floor and dumped the box's contents unceremoniously onto the floor, digging through everything looking for that rock. A red, smooth rock he'd had since he was a child. A rock that _couldn't_ have anything to do with Blaine-that would be too bizarre of a coincidence. Unless… Unless somehow Blaine had befriended Kurt because he had this stone?

Kurt froze, his chest tightening at that thought. _No, please no._ Blaine wasn't just using him. Blaine cared about him, he _knew_ he did. Kurt pushed away the thought that this was all some elaborate setup, he refused to believe that his relationship with Baine could be founded on such a huge betrayal.

Kurt went through everything in the hatbox a second time, but the stone wasn't there. He lay on his stomach and looked on the ground under his hanging clothes, he moved his shoes, and rearranged everything in his closet, but it wasn't there. He started on the living room next, looking in drawers and under furniture, moving on to pull all the storage boxes out from under his bed and check the crack between his nightstand and the wall. Nothing.

Kurt's apartment was small and tidy; if the stone were still here, Kurt should be able to find it, but he couldn't. What did that mean? Stones didn't just disappear. Kurt thought back to the snow that had turned into glistening light as it swirled around Blaine, and okay, he didn't _know_ , maybe stones _did_ disappear.

He tried to remember the last time he'd seen the stone, back to the afternoon he thought he'd heard thumping from inside his closet. A fuzzy memory from his childhood also started coming back to him- that day he'd found the stone on the beach-and then that night, hadn't he heard it beat then? He'd thought the stone was trying to talk to him at the time…

There was a knocking sound behind Kurt and he took in a quick surprised breath as he was hauled out of his thoughts and back to the present; the thumping noise was back. It took him a second to realize it was just someone at the door and not the beat of some magical stone. He had a little déjà vu as he walked to the door and looked out the peep hole, half expecting to see Aaron standing there.

Instead, he was surprised by the short, round figure of Blaine's friend Felix. Kurt backed away from the door, not comprehending why Felix of all people would be here, or even how he knew where Kurt lived.

"Kurt?" Felix's voice called through the door. "Don't shoot okay?"

Kurt' eyebrows furrowed at that odd request. He wanted to call back to Felix through the door and see why he was here, but he knew he should just open it and talk to him like a normal person would. It was just that everything in his life was in disarray right now and he didn't _really_ know Felix that well, even though he had enjoyed his company that one time they met.

"Are you home, Kurt of bold counsel?"

Kurt chewed on his lip, trying to decide what to do.

"It's about Blaine," Felix called through the door again, his voice taking on a softer tone. "He's in danger and he needs your help."

Kurt took a deep breath and immediately opened the door. Of course this could be a trick, Felix saying the exact thing that would force Kurt into action, but Kurt didn't really care, not if Blaine needed him. "What do you mean Blaine's in danger?" Kurt asked, taking in Felix's troubled face. "What's wrong? Is he okay?"

* * *

Blaine turned the heat on higher in his apartment and tapped a finger against the thermostat, why did it feel so cold in here? He coughed into his elbow and then went to sit in his big, open, barely furnished living room. He picked up a book he was reading but then just stared at the page for a few minutes before he realized he wasn't really concentrating. He put it down and fished his phone out of his pocket instead. It had been four days since he'd spoken with Kurt. Not a long time really, especially when you were as old as Blaine was, but the last few days had dragged on like torture.

Blaine just kept picturing Kurt's frightened face as he fled the ruins of that old church. The last thing he ever wanted was for Kurt to be scared of him; he had tried to introduce Kurt to magic in the least threating way possible, but he supposed it still had to be a shock. Blaine, on the other hand, couldn't remember a time when he hadn't known about magic – he'd been born into a family of power and had started using his own magic at a very young age. Still, he could imagine what it must be like for Kurt who didn't know anything about that side of the world.

Blaine checked his phone to see if he'd missed any calls or texts from Kurt – which of course he hadn't, he hadn't heard anything from Kurt since Kurt had asked him not to call. _Not yet._ "Not yet," Kurt had said. It was that _yet_ that gave Blaine courage. He could only hope that this relationship that they'd been building was strong enough to eventually lead Kurt back to him.

Blaine couldn't sit around his sparse apartment any longer, so he got up and put on a pair of boots and grabbed a coat and some gloves. The weather was slowly getting warm, but Blaine felt colder than ever, cold and alone. He used to be able to spend days upon days on his own, but since getting to know Kurt, it was as if something had been awakened in him, something that made him want things he hadn't wanted in a long time. It was harder to just be alone now, he craved companionship, and if Kurt wasn't talking to him, that left Felix.

Felix's little front room was cheery and warm as usual, but Blaine still shivered when he took off his coat, swaying a little bit on his feet, tired from the trip here. He quickly pulled his coat back on, feeling better bundled up.

"You are not looking well my friend," Felix said as he let him in. He placed a hand against Blaine's brow. Blaine flinched away out of habit, but Felix just gave him a stern glare and pressed the back of his hand against Blaine's forehead. "You're feverish."

"I don't get fevers. I don't get _sick_ ," Blaine protested, but as if to contradict his words, his chest tightened and he started a long coughing fit. Once he caught his breath, he found Felix watching him with arms crossed and brow furrowed.

"I know you don't get sick, that is why I'm so worried. Something is wrong."

Blaine just shrugged and licked his lips. "It has been a particularly cold winter."

"Actually it hasn't." Felix walked to a cabinet and pulled out a huge leather-bound book. Blaine sat down at Felix's table, his legs feeling a little wobbly. Felix brought the book over and set it down on the wooden tabletop with a thud. "I've been reading up on heartstones, I find it interesting that in all the time I've know you another magical individual has never found you and you know what I read?"

Blaine just lifted an eyebrow in response.

"That when you have a heartstone no magical human can find you unless there magic is greater than yours. So how powerful are you?"

Blaine shrugged. "You said yourself, no one finds me, why do you think I have a heartstone to begin with? To hide."

"Hmm…" Felix scratched his chin in thought. "Mostly though I've been reading up on the varied problems that can arise from having a heartstone – besides the obvious of having a Dontizu consume your soul so you live in everlasting torment."

"Oh yeah, that is the drawback," Blaine said with a wry smile.

"It seems you _can_ get sick." Felix continued flipping through the book. "It is called _morbus cordis_." He pointed to a page in the book and Blaine looked down at the weathered parchment and the swirling penmanship. This book was older than he was and completely in Latin.

"Heart disease?"

"Or more accurately translated for us to heartsickness."

Blaine nodded. "I've heard of that. It's rare, it can only happen if someone with evil intent has my heartstone." He looked up from the book to Felix's worried face. "You think that after all this time of looking for my heartstone, it has somehow gotten into the hands of someone who means me harm?"

"You think it hasn't?"

"I think those who mean me harm wouldn't waste time with heartsickness – they'd just use the stone to destroy me."

Felix was about to respond but Blaine started a coughing fit so heavy he had to grab the table to keep his balance. When it passed, Blaine tried to catch his breath but his breathing was shallow and ragged. He hadn't wanted to admit it, but it seemed Felix was right. Something was obviously wrong with him.

Felix placed a hand on his shoulder. "What do we do my friend?"

Blaine shook his head. "I have to find my stone."

"Yes, that has always been the case, but I feel like you have stopped looking recently. Don't you care anymore what happens to you?"

Blaine stood from the stool, his heart pumping too fast, how could Felix even ask that? Blaine had been looking for that damned stone for two decades. "Of course I care!"

"Then why have you stopped looking! Why haven't you asked Kurt!"

"You know that I told Kurt about my magic, it only served to scare him away. Why do you care what happens to me anyway?"

Felix sighed and rubbed his head. "You aren't the only one without many friends."

It was silent in the room for a minute. Blaine felt a little warmer at Felix's words, but still found himself shivering and swaying so he sat down again. "I know I should have told all of this to Kurt already – I was just scared of losing him. And now it looks like I have anyway."

"That boy loves you, Blaine."

Blaine smiled slightly. "He isn't a _boy_." Blaine's head was pounding and breathing had actually started to grow painful. He knew Felix was right, someone must be using his stone against him and Kurt was the key to finding it. He just had to face Kurt and hope he would help. He got up from the stool and closed his eyes for a moment as his head spun.

"Blaine?" Felix's voice called out to him. "Blaine, I don't think…"

Blaine didn't hear anything else as he opened his eyes for a moment and then the ground suddenly came rushing towards him, and he hit the floor with a heavy thump.

* * *

Felix hadn't said much, but told Kurt he had to come with him. He seemed so scared and was so urgent in his pleas that Kurt could hardly refuse. He ended up following Felix into a nice apartment building in an expensive part of town. Kurt had never been to Blaine's place before and it was strange to see it for the first time because Felix was bringing him there instead of Blaine. "I brought him home because I know he is safest here," Felix said as he unlocked Blaine's front door. "And I need to get back to my place, I think I can make him a remedy that may slow his illness."

They walked into a large open apartment with huge windows lining the wall, concrete floors and a high ceiling. It could have been lovely, but instead it just felt cold and empty; there was one sofa, a coffee table and a bookcase in the living room and nothing more. Kurt continued following Felix, his stomach tightening with nerves. He wanted to see Blaine, god did he want to see Blaine, especially if he was sick, but he was still so worried over everything he'd learned the last time he saw him.

Kurt stood by the doorway as Felix entered the bedroom. It was dark and a curtain was closed over the huge window in the far side of the room. It took a moment for Kurt's eyes to adjust to the dimly lit room; when they did, he made out Blaine's form lying on the bed, wrapped in covers but still noticeably shivering. Kurt took an involuntary step forward as Felix crossed to the opposite side of the bed, laying a hand on Blaine's shoulder.

"How are you my friend?"

Blaine moved to lift himself up, but instead he was overcome with a fit of coughing, his body quaking with the force of it. When he pulled in breath it sounded like a wheeze, like his lungs were too tight to take in air. Kurt's resolve to stay in the doorway broke at the pitiful sound and he hurried forward, smoothly sitting down on the bed next to Blaine.

Blaine looked up at him with dark watery eyes as Kurt placed his hand on his forehead. "God, you are too warm, Blaine," he said quietly, his heart aching with how miserable Blaine looked.

Blaine smiled weakly up at him. "You're here. You came."

Kurt glanced up at Felix whose brow was furrowed in worry. "Felix was concerned about you."

Blaine licked his dry lips and then started coughing again. Felix reached for a glass of water on the side table and offered it to him.

"I _knew_ you were getting sick." Kurt scolded, "You looked so tired that day at the concert in the park, and you were coughing."

Blaine took a sip of the water Felix was offering. "I didn't know. I don't actually get sick." His voice was hoarse and scratchy and he barely drank anything before he collapsed back down to the bed shivering all over. He reached out towards Kurt, though, and Kurt gladly took his hand.

"Obviously, you do," Kurt said worriedly, brushing unruly curls out of his face.

"He doesn't."

Kurt looked up at Felix who had a solemn expression on his face.

"He doesn't get sick. He can't really."

Kurt huffed out a breath of frustration. "What do you mean he can't get sick? What is _this_ then? He has a fever and a deep cough. He should see a doctor."

Felix shook his head. "It isn't illness, or at least not the way you are thinking. No doctor or medicine will help him."

Kurt glanced down at Blaine, his eyes closed now and his face pallid. "What's wrong with him?"

"It's mag-"

"And don't say magic!"

Felix clamped his mouth closed and Kurt rubbed a hand over his forehead, still holding Blaine's hand tightly with the other. This was more than he was able to take in. "A doctor really won't help?"

Felix shook his head.

"Then what will happen to him?" Kurt's voice was breathy as he went back to playing with Blaine's hair, trying to comfort him with his touch.

"I don't know… it isn't like he can die either, being basically immortal." Kurt's head snapped up at that, but Felix just continued on almost like he was working this out for himself. "At least he can't die in any traditional way… but this is magic so maybe it can kill him…" He looked at Kurt, seemingly remembering he was still there. "I know Blaine told you he had magic, what else did he tell you?"

Kurt's throat was dry and his stomach felt hollow, but there wasn't time to argue with Felix about the fact that he was still talking about magic even though Kurt didn't want to hear it. "He didn't tell me much. He showed me… something I couldn't explain and I just…"

"Fled?"

Kurt nodded, his eyes stinging as he looked back down at Blaine who was fitfully asleep now, but still burning up and trembling. " _Please,_ Felix, we have to do something. What's doing this to him?"

"His stone," Felix said with a sigh. "Or that would be my guess at least."

"I don't understand." Kurt's voice broke and he swiped at his eyes. He was so scared. Scared of whatever this was that he'd been drawn into. Scared of what Blaine was. But mostly scared of something happening to Blaine with him being helpless to do anything.

"Oh, my boy," Felix said softly and walked over to sit next to him. "There is so much to explain, but we don't have time. What it comes down to is I think Blaine has a heartsickness."

Kurt shook his head still not understanding.

"It is when someone or something possesses your heartstone with evil intent."

"Blaine said his heartstone was magic as well," Kurt said, trying to put it all together.

Felix nodded. "That's right, it is… connected to him, a vital part of him. So you can see why it was so dangerous when his brother stole it. He has been missing a piece of himself for years…. In more ways than one." Felix glanced back at Blaine as he started coughing in his sleep and Kurt let out an involuntary whimper at the sound.

"What do we do?" Kurt asked, pushing his fear and confusion aside.

"I hoped that you had his stone?"

Kurt blinked at him a moment, trying to understand. The more information Kurt got, the more convinced he was that his stone, the stone he'd had since childhood, was the heartstone Blaine had been looking for. He didn't like the idea though, not if it meant Blaine was with him just for the stone. "Why would I have this stone?" Kurt asked quietly, anxious for Felix's answer.

"I don't know, it's just there was this ritual Blaine performed that made us think you could lead him to his stone."

Kurt nodded slowly, his chest feeling tight with distress as he continued to brush his fingers over Blaine's forehead. That was the exact kind of thing he didn't want to hear. "Wait." He looked back up at Felix. "You think I have… _evil intent_ towards Blaine?"

Felix sighed. "No, not really. Not at all… I just hoped you'd have answers."

"All I have is _questions_ ," Kurt said, frustration bubbling inside of him as he stood from the bed raking his fingers through his hair and not even caring if he messed it up. "I have _no idea_ what is going on here. I didn't even believe in magic until last week. _I stopped believing in Santa when I was four!_ I don't... I just…" Kurt was pacing the room, purposefully not looking at Blaine's pale skin or the ragged way his chest was heaving. This couldn't be happening. He knew nothing about this world of heartstones and evil and magic and now Blaine was… what, dying? Maybe? If he weren't _immortal_ that is, which was a thought Kurt couldn't focus on now. One thing was certain, Blaine wasn't alright and he needed help.

"What does it look like?" Kurt said as he stopped pacing to face Felix; he needed to hear this from Felix before he said anything about the stone he had. "This heartstone thing. What does it look like?"

"Oh well… I've never seen one in person. But they are actual stones, red and about the size of a fist – like a human heart. They are… warm I think?"

Kurt's stomach twisted. "I…" He took a long breath and glanced at Blaine. If he told Felix he had the stone, then there was no turning back, he would be pulled into this whether he liked it or not. Now was the time to decide. Except he already had decided really, he couldn't turn his back on Blaine if he needed help. "I think I had that. The heartstone you're looking for."

"What?" Felix stood from the bed and Blaine groaned.

Kurt walked over to Blaine, hand smoothing softly down his cheek as he hushed him. "Shh shh sweetheart. I'm going to help you. I promise." Kurt turned around to face Felix again, "I had a stone exactly like that."

Felix's eyebrows shot up, " _Had_?"

Kurt thought back to the last time he'd seen and heard that stone. The day he broke up with Aaron. "I think someone stole it."


	12. Chapter 11

**AN: Hello all! I didn't write _anything_ at all the week of Thanksgiving, so now I am behind my own personal schedule. Oops. I am going to try to kick my own ass in gear so that I have an update for you again next week. In the meantime here is the next installment! Thanks for reading!**

* * *

Kurt's mind was still spinning with everything he was learning about Blaine, but the most important thing right now was to help him get better, he was so obviously miserable and Felix seemed concerned for his life. A thought that made Kurt feel ill. Felix had left for his place to put together some kind of remedy for Blaine. Kurt couldn't even imagine what that might involve and he was pretty sure he didn't want to know. This meant that Kurt was left alone with Blaine in his big, empty, depressing apartment.

"I can't believe this is where you live," Kurt whispered to a still restlessly sleeping Blaine. Blaine was tucked warmly under his covers and Kurt was sitting next to him on the bed, back propped up against the headboard. "It is so unfriendly and it doesn't even seem like someone lives here. When you feel better, we are so redecorating."

Kurt glanced down at Blaine still fast asleep; he hoped that was a good thing, that rest would help him. He didn't know anything about magical illnesses, he could only hope Felix got back with the remedy soon, though from there, they just had some more difficult choices to make. The remedy alone wouldn't save Blaine, they were going to have to find the heartstone Kurt had lost.

Kurt ran his fingers through Blaine's thick dark curls and sighed. "My life is much more complicated right now than it was last week. I'm just a normal guy, I don't know how to handle all of this."

Blaine trembled but slept on.

Kurt scooted down the bed so he was lying next to him, he wrapped an arm around his waist and leaned his forehead against his shoulder. "I really need you to be okay Blaine." He lifted his head and pressed a soft kiss to Blaine's too warm cheek. "I'm still kind of mad at you for keeping so much from me and we need to talk about that and maybe fight and then make up. We have a lot to do so you need to get better."

Blaine's eyelids fluttered a little and Kurt ran the tip of his finger down his nose. "I'm going to get your heartstone back, I promise."

Kurt must have drifted into a light sleep himself because he was startled out of it when he heard the front door open and close. He sat straight up in bed and sighed in relief when Felix walked into the bedroom.

"Thank god it is only you."

"Who did you think it would be?" Felix asked, shrugging off the big brown velvet coat he wore.

"Well I don't know who else it could be do I?" Kurt sighed. "I'm still figuring all of this out."

"Sorry. I should have told you no one who means Blaine harm can enter this apartment, not unless they are very, very powerful. He has charms and spells for protection."

"Sure. Right. Of course he does." Kurt said running a hand wearily down his face. "Did you make a remedy?"

Felix held up a blue glass vial stopped with a cork. "It won't heal him, but it should give him enough strength for a while so we can ask him what should be done next."

"I still don't understand why you won't just let me go get the heartstone. I know who took it." They had argued about this before Felix had left, Kurt wanted to leave right then and confront Aaron about taking the stone, because really it couldn't have been anyone but him.

"Oh yes, and what would I tell Blaine when he woke up and found out that you'd gone off to challenge someone to win back his stone? He would skin me alive if something happened to you, heartsickness be damned!"

Kurt crossed his arms stubbornly and glanced down at Blaine. "Aaron is harmless."

"You don't know that. Aaron, Hebrew for high mountain or exalted." Felix mumbled the last part under his breath like he couldn't help himself when it came to giving out name meanings. "He could be anything, he could have been after the stone from the beginning."

Kurt didn't answer, he had a hard time thinking that Aaron was anything but a fellow NYADA student.

"Help me prop Blaine up and we'll let him drink this."

Kurt nodded his agreement and the gently helped Felix prop Blaine against some pillows and the headboard.

"Blaine?" Kurt called softly. "You need to wake up now, okay?"

Blaine mumbled in his sleep a little but didn't wake. Kurt's stomach clenched with worry.

"You should kiss him," Felix said and Kurt looked at him in surprise.

"Is that a thing? A real magical thing, kissing someone to wake them?"

"No." Felix shrugged, "I just think it'd be cute."

Kurt rolled his eyes and shook Blaine's shoulders. "Blaine. I need you to wake up now. _Please_."

Blaine moaned and slowly blinked his eyes open, his eyelids were heavy and his eyes glassed over and it was all too apparent that he was _very_ unwell. Kurt knelt next to him on the bed. "We have something you need to drink."

"You're still here?" Blaine asked weakly.

"Of course I am," Kurt answered with a little smile. "You think I'd leave when you need me?"

Blaine smiled softly, "You're so beautiful."

Kurt blushed a little and cleared his throat before looking up at Felix who was watching them with an unsuppressed grin on his face.

"The remedy?" Kurt asked, holding his hand out. Felix handed it to him and Kurt uncorked it. "All of it?"

"All of it."

"It won't… hurt him will it? It isn't dangerous?"

Felix shook his head. "It shouldn't be."

" _Shouldn't_?" Kurt asked, his throat tightening.

"It's okay," Blaine spoke up feebly. "I trust Felix." Blaine reached his hand out for the vial but it was shaking almost violently.

"Here, let me." Kurt said, bringing the vial to Blaine's lips as he tipped his head back and gulped it down. Once it was all gone, Blaine sputtered and coughed for a minute, his breathing sounding painful.

"How long will it take to work?" Kurt asked Felix rubbing Blaine's back to comfort him, but before Felix could answer, Kurt's heart leapt to his throat as Blaine let out a harsh shout and hopped out of bed.

"Good lord, Felix, what was that!" Blaine said, his face filled with color when it had been pallid just a moment ago.

Felix smirked. "Oh, a little of this and a little of that. How do you feel?"

Kurt's heart was tight in his chest as Blaine shook his head and covered his eyes with a hand as he swayed on his feet a little. He sprang up from the bed to stand by Blaine, holding on to his elbow to keep him steady.

"I don't feel right…" Blaine looked up at Felix, "But I feel better." Kurt let out a little breath of relief when he noticed Blaine's eyes seemed much clearer. Blaine glanced down to where Kurt was still holding his arm. "I can't believe you are here helping me after… everything."

"When this is all said and done you and I are going to have a _long_ talk." Kurt said trying to hold back a relieved grin, "But for now I just need you get well."

Blaine smiled, but swayed on his feet again, so Kurt put both hands on his shoulders and made him sit back down on the bed.

"I don't really know what to do now," Blaine whispered, his voice a little gravelly.

"Oh, you should ask your boy about that," Felix spoke up.

Blaine looked up at Kurt, a little embarrassed. "I tell him not to call you that."

Kurt sat down next to him and took his hand. Blaine watched his every move as if he were afraid Kurt was going to sprint off at any moment, and considering that was exactly what he'd done the last time they were together, Kurt couldn't really blame him.

"I think I know where your heartstone is, Blaine."

Blaine stared at him for a long moment as if not comprehending and then he opened his mouth to speak but didn't say a word.

"I had it. I've had it since I was six, but I was looking for it earlier and now it's gone."

"You-you had it? Since you were a _child_?"

Kurt nodded and watched as Blaine's face lost a little of its color again. "How… how can that…" Blaine stopped and took a shuddering breath. "You don't have it now?"

"No, someone took it, weeks ago, I think—that was the last time I saw it. And I'm going to go get it back from him."

"Him who?" Blaine said, still looking stunned and now _Blaine_ knew what it felt like to be thrown more information than you could really handle at once.

"Aaron. Aaron took it, it had to be him. So I'm just going to go over to his place and demand he give it back." Kurt hoped that if he stated this plan matter-of-factly that Blaine would just take it as a given and let him go.

"Like hell you are!"

Or not.

"Blaine, this sickness, it… it's killing you. I have to do something."

"It isn't your responsibility to do _anything_ Kurt. I never wanted you mixed up in this, I never… Aaron could be dangerous."

"He isn't. It's just Aaron, he's harmless."

"He didn't seem harmless at the Broadway Ball."

Kurt knew Blaine had a point there, but Aaron he could handle. A flesh and blood regular person he could handle. "He's a bully, I know. But I've been dealing with bullies my whole life."

Blaine's face softened and he lifted a shaky hand to brush his fingertips down Kurt's face. "I know you can fight your own battles, Kurt, but this isn't your battle. I'll go, I don't want you in harm's way."

Kurt let out a derisive laugh and stood from the bed, "You can hardly stand on your own, you _do not_ get to go out there and put yourself in harm's way either!"

Blaine stood too, his jaw clenched as he stared at Kurt, but Kurt wasn't backing down, he just glared back.

"Perhaps you two are better off going together." Felix suggested. "Kurt can help you, Blaine, since you are feeling weak and the remedy will wear off eventually. And you, son of Ander, can be there for Kurt if Aaron turns out to have any magical resources."

Blaine huffed out a breath, but Kurt didn't budge as he watched Blaine's shoulders relax, "Alright, we go together."

Kurt let out a sigh of relief, he didn't want to argue over this, he just wanted to do what needed to be done to make sure Blaine was safe. "I'm good with that."

Blaine's lips twitched up in a smile and he reached out for Kurt's hand, which Kurt was more than willing to give him. "Thank you."

Kurt rubbed his thumb over Blaine's skin, his hand was still trembling slightly-disconcerting-and took a step forward. For a moment, he ignored the fact that Felix was there, and that he was overwhelmed with new information, and that he was supposed to be upset with Blaine; instead, he leaned in so his face was a breath away from Blaine's. "You just have to promise that this is going to make you better, okay?"

"Okay," Blaine breathed and Kurt's heart beat faster as he leaned in to give him a short sweet kiss.

* * *

Blaine's instincts were on high alert as he stood next to Kurt on the subway train to Aaron's apartment. He was very aware that he was walking into an unknown situation with an unknown foe and with Kurt by his side. Kurt, who knew nothing of the dangers of magic, sweet Kurt who had somehow had Blaine's heartstone since he was a child, Kurt who was risking himself by insisting on going with Blaine.

"When we get there, I need you to do what I say. I know you don't think Aaron is a danger, but we don't actually know what is going on with him, and if he has magic, I can only protect you if you follow my lead."

"Fine, I can do that," Kurt agreed, still standing close to him and holding his elbow, "And I need _you_ to take it easy and be careful with yourself, you still aren't well."

Blaine nodded, he knew he wasn't well, Kurt didn't know how much he was hiding that right now. His legs felt like rubber and his head was pounding so hard he felt like it was affecting his eyesight, and if he took a deep breath, he knew he'd start coughing severely. He just had to get his heartstone back from Aaron; if he could do that, everything would work out.

He couldn't believe that, after nearly 20 years of looking, he was actually so close to having his heartstone back, it was almost unfathomable. He just hoped it wasn't too good to be true. And Kurt had had his heartstone the whole time! What did that mean? What were the chances that the first person Blaine had let in his life in years would have his stone? Blaine wasn't going to let himself worry too much about his and Kurt's relationship, not right now at least. He had no idea whether Kurt would leave him after he was well; would Kurt be able to be with him, now that he was learning the truth about him? Blaine shook his head and decided not to focus on that, first thing's first; get his stone, keep Kurt safe.

After exiting the subway, Kurt led him a few blocks down, walking slowly, Blaine assumed, so that he didn't over exert himself. He would have protested, but he really didn't feel right and the slow pace was good for him. It had been too long since he was actually sick, not since he was a child, so he didn't know if how he felt was normal for illness or if his body really was slowly dying. It felt like the latter.

They arrived at a red brick apartment building and Kurt buzzed several apartments before someone let him in. Blaine tried to ignore the squirmy feeling in his stomach at the idea of Kurt coming here frequently when he and Aaron dated, this was no time for jealousy. Kurt walked them up to the second floor, still holding Blaine's arm. He stopped outside of an apartment door.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Kurt asked him, his brow furrowed and his eyes worried.

"Do I not look okay?"

"No, you really don't. You've gone all pale again. Maybe Felix should have come too."

"Felix doesn't do confrontations." Blaine said, shaking his head. He was glad Felix wasn't here, he already had someone else other than himself to look out for and that wasn't something he was used to.

"You really think there is going to be a confrontation?"

"Kurt, I'm sick. Whoever has my stone is giving me this heartsickness, I don't think we're about to walk into something good."

If it was possible, Kurt's brow furrowed even deeper. "Right." He lifted a hand and knocked at the door. "What do we do if he isn't home?"

"We let ourselves in."

There was silence for a moment before Kurt knocked again. Still nothing.

"So are you going to pick the lock or something?" Kurt laughed nervously.

Blaine sent him a small smile before he held his hand over the doorknob, making it shake and rattle without a touch. Then he heard the lock click open on the inside.

"Oh," Kurt said and Blaine glanced at him to see his eyes wide. "Magic. How do I keep forgetting that?"

"You could stay out here while I go in," Blaine offered, hoping Kurt would agree, but doubting he would.

"Nope," Kurt answered and twisted the doorknob to open the door.

The apartment was dark when they entered, the air stale, and though nothing seemed out of the normal, Blaine's heartbeat sped up; he could feel something in the air, something familiar and warm. Suddenly, he was so full of emotions that he hadn't felt in years and it was all too overwhelming; he swayed and almost collapsed, but Kurt was by his side, wrapping an arm around his waist and being his support.

"Blaine!"

"I'm okay… I am."

"You really aren't." Kurt looked at him worriedly, but Blaine didn't have a chance to reassure him, there was movement behind Kurt's shoulder. It only took a fraction of a second for Blaine to spin them around so that Kurt was standing behind him and Blaine was between him and whatever was approaching.

"Who's there?!" A rough, strained voice called out and Blaine could make out the shape of a man standing in the doorway of the living room. The figure took a step towards them and Kurt came out from behind Blaine's back even as Blaine tensed, ready to spring forward if needed.

"Aaron?"

A light flickered on and Blaine blinked his eyes to adjust to the light before he made out the figure of Aaron standing nearby; it _was_ Aaron, but something was very off about him. His long blonde hair was messy and unwashed, his skin looked gray and waxy, his eyes dull and face sunken like he'd lost a lot of weight too fast.

"Oh god, Aaron, what's happened to you?" Kurt asked, taking a step forward, but Blaine reached for his arm to stop him.

"Kurt wait, this isn't right." Blaine warned.

" _You_!" Aaron growled, glaring at Kurt with bloodshot eyes.

Blaine's mind felt sluggish, he should know what was going on, he should be figuring this out faster, but the heartsickness was affecting him too strongly. He didn't have time to work out what was happening to Aaron because in that moment, Aaron moved like lightning. He grabbed a wooden baseball bat leaning against the wall and surged forward bringing the bat up and charging towards Kurt.

"No!" Blaine shouted at the same time Kurt did. He pushed Kurt back behind him as Kurt shouted again.

"Don't hurt him!"

Blaine wasn't sure what 'him' Kurt was talking about, but he wouldn't hurt Aaron, not if it could be helped. Not unless he hurt Kurt, then all hell would break loose.

Aaron swung the bat down with surprising strength and would have hit Baine squarely over the head, but Blaine was quick; he lifted his hands and grabbed the bat, bracing himself against Aaron's unexpected strength. They stood for a moment both clucthing the bat and pushing against one another trying to gain footing.

"Let. _Go_ ," Blaine said in his most intimidating voice, the one that rumbled out of his chest and made grown men cower in fear. Aaron's eyes widened and he took a step back, lowering his arms and forfeiting the baseball bat.

"What are you doing in my home?!" Aaron bellowed, his whole body trembling. Kurt walked forward, placing a hand on Blaine's back.

"We knocked," He answered, as if that would explain everything.

"You should have never come here." Aaron seethed and he moved forward again towards Kurt, and Blaine had had enough of that.

He spun where he stood to give himself momentum, since he wasn't feeling as strong as he normally did, and swung the bat down to hit Aaron's legs, making him fall to the ground. Blaine didn't hesitate a moment, in one swift move, he was on the floor straddling Aaron, who swung up with more precision than Blaine would have given him credit for, landing a punch solidly on Blaine's jaw. Blaine barely flinched as he held the bat with both hands and moved it to press it across Aaron's throat.

"I'm going easy on you," Blaine said, trying to remain calm even though his blood was pumping too fast and his head was spinning. "But if you try and hurt him again, I will _not_ be accountable for my actions."

Kurt knelt down by both of them and Blaine glanced at him briefly, long enough to see the look of distress in his eyes. "Aaron, we just want the stone you took from my apartment. Give that to us and we'll leave you alone. Right, Blaine?" Kurt's voice wavered a little and Blaine recognized him pleading with him.

"Yes, all we want is the stone." He confirmed. He didn't actually want to hurt this man, he was piecing everything together now, from Aaron's distorted appearance and even all the way back to his behavior at the ball.

"I don't have a stone!" Aaron spat at them and Blaine pressed the bat just a fraction harder against his throat.

"You do." Kurt insisted his voice turning steely and in any other circumstance Blaine would have smirked at the fact that Kurt seemed to have perfected his own intimidating inflection. "You took it from a hat box in my apartment the day we broke up, I _know_ you have it."

Aaron's expression cleared, and for a moment, Blaine thought he was going to give in, but then his eyes darkened again. "You'll have to _kill_ me for it."

" _What_?" Kurt's squeaked the steel in his voice wavering at Aaron's outburst.

Blaine huffed out a breath. "I don't think that will be necessary. I know it is here. I can feel it." He kept holding Aaron down but he let his eyes slide closed as he tried to shut out everything around him, just focusing on his hoarse breathing and the rhythm of his own too fast heart. It took a moment for everything around him to go dark but then he heard it, the double beat – his heart and then a fraction of a second later an echoing beat. He opened his eyes and looked at Kurt whose eyebrows had shot up as he slowly started rising from the floor. He heard it too.

"I've heard this before," Kurt said quietly and looked down at Blaine. "It's your heartstone."

"Find it," Blaine pleaded; he was feeling weaker by the moment and he wasn't sure how much longer he'd be able to hold Aaron down.

Kurt nodded and took a step back before turning around in the room in a slow circle, listening. Blaine concentrated, trying to make the beating of his heartstone louder but his strength was flagging. Then, Kurt turned and hurried out of the room and into the hallway beyond. He was gone for a moment and Blaine heard thumping and slamming like Kurt was throwing things around and opening and shutting drawers.

"Found it!" Kurt cried triumphantly and then… then everything changed.

The room started spinning and Aaron stopped struggling under him. Blaine looked at him and it was like clouds lifted from Aaron's eyes and he looked up at Blaine in simple fear. Blaine got up quickly, but it was too much for him and soon he was crashing back down again hitting the ground hard. The wind was knocked out of him for a moment before Kurt came racing back into the room, he immediately fell to his knees next to Blaine.

"Blaine! Oh my god, are you alright?" He put his hand on Blaine's shoulder and Blaine's eyes caught on the red stone in Kurt's hand, a red stone that was pulsing with light, and Blaine's heart felt like it would beat out of his chest, but as the light started to fade from the stone, his own heart rate returned to normal. The intense dizziness darkening his sight started to fade. He looked up at Kurt then and saw that his face was white and his eyes brimming with tears.

"Please, Blaine, say something." Kurt's voice hitched and Blaine's heart calmed.

"I'm alright now, Kurt," He assured him quickly and started to sit up, Kurt helping him.

Kurt swept the fingers of his free hand over Blaine's brow, brushing the hair out of his face. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine-" Blaine's eyes moved to behind Kurt where Aaron was getting up. Blaine hopped to his feet.

"Is this over?" Blaine asked, his fist balled and ready for a fight if needed.

Aaron's appearance had changed dramatically, his face had color to it and his eyes looked alive again; he looked back and forth between Blaine and Kurt like he was coming out of a dream. "What – what is happening to me?" He seemed afraid and Blaine actually felt bad for him, but it was Kurt who took a step forward. Blaine stiffened, but Aaron actually took a step away from them, the fight wasn't in him anymore. "What _happened_ to me?" He asked again and Kurt reached out a hand, placing it soothingly on his arm before turning back to Blaine.

"Blaine? What's going on?" He asked.

"You were... sick." Blaine answered slowly, trying to work out how to explain this without giving away too much. "When you took that stone, you were angry with Kurt weren't you?"

Aaron nodded.

"And by extension you were angry at me?"

"I thought Kurt had been cheating on me with you. After the ball I was sure of it."

"I wasn't," Kurt said quietly.

"Okay well…" Blaine took a step forward, "You should have never had that stone, it was… too much for you. It made you sick, I think it is part of the reason you've been behaving the way you have been."

"I don't understand."

"Well, you're just going to have to get used to that." Blaine sighed. "We are taking this stone and you will be fine now. You might need some extra sleep for the next few days but then you should be back to normal."

" _Explain_." Aaron insisted.

"No." Blaine's voice took on that hard growl again and Aaron took yet another step back. "You will leave both Kurt and me alone now, alright?"

"I don't want anything to do with either of you!" Aaron threw his hands in the air, shaking Kurt's hand off of him.

"And you need to not tell anyone about this," Kurt added.

It took a moment but then Aaron nodded. "I wouldn't know what to say anyhow."

Kurt walked back to Blaine and grasped his hand, and Blaine took the opportunity to lean against him, he still felt too weak. They turned to leave but stopped at the door when Aaron called out to them.

"I'm sorry, Kurt."

Kurt raised an eyebrow at him.

"I've been… I haven't been myself."

Kurt smiled slowly at him thinking it through. "If it was the stone… there is nothing to apologize for." And Blaine fell for Kurt just a little bit harder – though he had no intention of forgiving Aaron himself.

Out on the street, Blaine began to shiver in the cold. He coughed into his fist and Kurt wrapped an arm around his back.

"I thought you were supposed to be better now?" He said worriedly and then his face lit up with an idea. "Here, take this!" Kurt held out the heartstone. Blaine's heartstone, reunited with him again at long last.

"I don't think I should, not yet. It's powerful and I'm still weak."

"But I thought it would make you better?"

"It is. Aaron not having it is making me better, I just need rest and then I'll be able to handle the stone."

"So… I should just _keep_ it?" Kurt said, looking down at the glinting red stone in his hand.

"It won't harm you. It is part of me and I would _never_ harm you. If you could just bring it back to my apartment for me, we can lock it up there."

Kurt nodded and tucked the heartstone into the pocket of his coat. He let Blaine lean against him as they walked back to the subway and as they rode home. He was silent, but Blaine could practically hear him thinking.

"What do you want to ask?"

"I still don't understand what happened to Aaron? Did he have magic after all?"

"No," Blaine said with a sleepy yawn. "He had heartsickness. Not like I did, but his anger infected him through the magic of the stone. It isn't something just anyone should possess."

"I had the stone for eighteen years Blaine."

"Mmmm… and my heart would never hurt you Kurt." Blaine leaned his head against Kurt's shoulder and closed his eyes. "Even before I met you."

He felt Kurt rub a hand down his arm. "Just sleep sweetheart, I'll wake you at our stop."

"'K." Blaine yawned again and fell asleep, warm and happy, swaying with the movement of the train and tucked safely against Kurt's side.


	13. Chapter 12

**AN: Hello lovelies! My writing schedule is a little slower right now with the Holidays upon us but I still hope to post weekly-ish. To make up for the wait this chapter is extra long!  
I want to give a shout out the theatrevicki who really helped me get this chapter together. And thank you all for reading even with my sporadic posting schedule. Love you all!**

* * *

After getting back from Aaron's apartment, Blaine had a short burst of energy, showing Felix his heartstone and explaining that Aaron wouldn't be a problem again, wanting to ease his friend's worry. However, soon he was crumpling back down into bed. He hated feeling this weak, it wasn't a feeling he was used to, and despite the fact that Felix told him he just needed to sleep it off, Blaine felt resentful towards his own body for not having the strength he wanted.

He watched Kurt place the heartstone almost reverently in his safe and then he drifted to sleep as Kurt and Felix spoke in hushed tones.

He woke up sometime later, blinking open his eyes and noticing that the sun had moved lower in the sky. He glanced around the room to see Felix sitting on a chair nearby; Kurt was nowhere to be seen.

"Kurt left," Blaine said, his heart sinking; he shouldn't be surprised really, Kurt had already gone above and beyond to help him get his stone back.

Felix looked up from the book he was reading. "He'll be back presently, he only went to his place for some of his things. He will stay with you while you recover."

Blaine sat up on his elbows, holding back a smile as delight bloomed in his chest; and even though he tried not to get his hopes up, "And whose idea was that?"

"Mine, but he readily agreed."

Blaine fell back on the pillows and rubbed a hand over his head, "He is going to want answers."

"Blaine." Felix stood up and walked towards the bed, "He deserves answers."

Blaine nodded, "I know, I 'm just afraid of what will happen to us once he knows the truth. Perhaps it will be better for him if he decides he doesn't want anything to do with me."

"Why do you say that?"

Blaine took a long breath and thought it through; as much as he wanted Kurt in his life, he _needed_ him to be safe and the truth was no one was really safe around him. "Because getting my heartstone back was the easy part of what I have to do," he answered.

Felix sighed deeply and nodded; Blaine didn't like seeing him so serious, but he didn't have much time to focus on it as sleep greedily pulled him back under. The next time he woke up, the sun had set and no one was in the bedroom with him. He lay in bed cursing the weariness of his bones until he heard movement in another part of the apartment. He sat up in bed and listened for a moment before getting up and shuffling into the living room and then into the kitchen where he found Kurt in front of his opened refrigerator as he loaded it up with groceries.

"Kurt?"

He spun around and a hand went to his chest, but when he saw Blaine a smile crossed his face. "You're awake."

"What are you doing?" Blaine asked dumbly as he looked at the half-full refrigerator and grocery bags on the counter.

"Not only is your apartment a little bleak, Blaine, you hardly had any food in your kitchen," Kurt replied with an arch of an eyebrow. "I'm just fixing that."

"You didn't have-"

Kurt lifted a hand to stop him, "No, Blaine, it isn't right. How can you not have eggs and bread and the _basics_?"

"I don't spend a lot of time here," Blaine answered sheepishly.

Kurt just put his hands on his hips, "Well you do now until you get better, so you need to be stocked on food. How are you feeling?" Kurt walked closer to Blaine and lifted a hand to feel his head. "You aren't feverish anymore, that's good."

Blaine smiled at him. "You don't have to do all of this, you know. I can take care of myself."

"Mmhmm," Kurt hummed. "Says the man standing in the kitchen in pajamas and bed head who would have had nothing to eat if I weren't here."

Blaine's hand immediately flew to his head, trying to pat down his curls.

"No, don't," Kurt said, pulling his arm down. "You look…" An easy smile covered his face. "You look kind of adorable."

"I don't think that is a word that has ever been used to describe me," Blaine answered, a little stunned by the sincerity on Kurt's face.

Kurt just shrugged and let go of his arm. "I'm going to make dinner, you should go shower, you'll feel better once you're fresh."

Blaine nodded and then looked down at his pajamas, he didn't know where these had come from, he didn't even own pajamas and he didn't remember putting them on.

"They're mine," Kurt said, as if reading his mind. "You were really out of it and needed something comfy."

Blaine blushed at the thought of Kurt changing his clothes, though maybe Felix had done it, not that that was any better.

Kurt suppressed a grin, "Dinner will be ready when you're finished with your shower."

Blaine smiled and turned to do as Kurt told him. There weren't many people who could just boss Blaine around like this; in fact, Kurt might be the only one.

He did feel better after he showered, washing the day off of him and feeling a little more like himself. He was still tired, though, as he slipped back into Kurt's pajamas, grinning broadly at the thought of wearing Kurt's clothing. Then he followed the scent of something delicious back to the kitchen where Kurt was setting a table that Blaine wasn't sure he'd ever used.

"I made caprese-stuffed chicken," Kurt announced with a satisfied smile. "I hope you like it." He gestured for Blaine to sit and Blaine followed his direction as Kurt brought everything to the table.

"Kurt-" Blaine's throat felt a little scratchy and it wasn't from his recovering illness. "I don't know the last time I had a home-cooked meal."

Kurt's smile slipped for a moment. "That's just sad."

"I still don't understand why you aren't mad at me. Why are you doing all of this?"

"I was angry," Kurt said, sitting down next to him, "I mean you have been keeping so much from me. I started to think that that maybe I didn't really know you at all."

"No, Kurt, you do," Blaine insisted, his chest tightening in worry.

"I agree." Kurt looked up at him with bright blue eyes that seemed to gaze right into him. Kurt saw him in ways that no one ever had; it was as if, when he looked at Blaine, he saw all he could be and not the sad, cold man he'd become. Kurt made Blaine want to try harder, to be better, to be the kind of man who could deserve someone like Kurt. "There is so much I don't know _about you_ ," Kurt continued, "But I know what kind of man you are. And that man deserves a chance to explain all of this to me."

"I'll tell you anything… I tell you _everything_ ," Blaine assured him, and Kurt just smiled as he served the chicken.

"You'd better, but not just now. Eat first and rest. We have time. Don't we?"

Blaine thought about his plans now that he had his heartstone back-he'd waited decades-a little more waiting would be okay. "We have time."

Blaine enjoyed one of the best meals he'd had in his long life, though the fact that Kurt had made it might have influenced that verdict a little, and when he tried to help clean up, Kurt just swatted at him.

"I usually stick to the 'the cook doesn't do the clean-up' rule," Kurt said, "But you look dead on your feet right now." It was true; as much at Blaine hated it, he still felt weak and a little shaky. "Go sleep," Kurt ordered, and again, Blaine did as he was told.

That's how the whole of the next day went: Blaine slept more than he ever remembered sleeping and he always woke to Kurt nearby, reading or sketching or cleaning the apartment. He looked tired, and Blaine understood that, with everything that had happened with Aaron and all the new information he'd learned, Kurt might be a little weary, even though he wasn't complaining.

Blaine knew that Kurt had slept on the sofa that first night; he had already been asleep when Kurt turned in for the night, but after he awoke, Blaine had seen the sheet and pillow stacked neatly on the sofa. Now, seeing Kurt looking a little ragged, Blaine realized that his sofa was not the most comfortable surface.

Would it be too fast or too much for Blaine to offer his bed? All he wanted was for Kurt to have a good night's sleep, and while the thought of sleeping next to him made butterflies stir in Blaine's stomach, it really was Kurt's health he was concerned about. Mostly. After the second day of Kurt looking out for him, Blaine woke up as Kurt got out of the shower, hair towel-dried and wearing pajama bottoms and a t-shirt. He was heading to the living room.

"You could sleep in here if you wanted," Blaine blurted out.

Kurt looked over at him in surprise. "Here? Here where?"

Blaine sat up and shrugged, "The bed is more than big enough for two." He held his breath and watched Kurt as he considered the idea, hoping he'd take him up on the offer.

Kurt hesitated a moment before a smile crept on his face, "That would be a lot more comfortable, and it is a ridiculously big bed Blaine."

Blaine laughed in relief and patted the mattress next to him.

Kurt climbed up into the big king sized bed and slid under the covers. "Mmmmm," he hummed happily, "Much better than the couch."

Blaine couldn't help but grin, having Kurt here like this was wonderful, close and warm and safe beside him. During the middle of the night Blaine woke up and found that he had unconsciously snuggled up against Kurt, but Kurt had an arm around his waist so he didn't seem to mind. Blaine just yawned and rested his head back down near Kurt's before falling soundly back to sleep.

He woke up the next morning with soft springtime light coming in through the windows and Kurt sitting on his bed, leaning against the headboard and drawing. The sun hit his face perfectly, reflecting off his hair and making the blue of his eyes look almost translucent. Blaine wished he could draw, because he'd love to sketch Kurt's profile like this; instead, he settled for just drinking in the sight of him.

"God you're gorgeous," Blaine said without even thinking.

Kurt looked down at him in amusement as he lifted an eyebrow, "Good morning to you too."

Blaine sat up and yawned, stretching his arms high above his head; when he glanced back at Kurt, he politely ignored the fact that he found Kurt biting his lip and looking down to Blaine's waist where his shirt had ridden up. It wasn't like Blaine didn't spend a lot of time looking at Kurt as well. Kurt's eyes flitted back up to glance at Blaine and his cheeks were a little pink. Again, Blaine politely ignored it.

He leaned back against the headboard and scooted over to see Kurt's sketch book. "What are you working on?"

Kurt tilted the book so Blaine could see several sketches of men in turn-of-the-century inspired clothing, with close-up sketches of ties and cuff links and handkerchiefs. "I was just working on some ideas for my Etsy shop."

"Kurt." Blaine breathed. "These are _amazing_. You are gifted."

Kurt smiled and his face flushed as he looked away. "Thank you."

"Seriously Kurt, these are beautiful."

Kurt just shook his head and laughed. "You seem to be feeling better this morning."

"Well, you've taken amazing care of me."

Kurt's face grew a little more serious as he lifted a hand to brush the curls off Blaine's forehead. "I was really worried about you."

Blaine rubbed the back of his neck, feeling guilty, "I'm sorry I got you involved in this."

Kurt just sighed and then leaned forward cupping Blaine's face with his hands and kissing his lips, soft and sweet until Blaine's head went a little fuzzy, "I'm not sorry." Kurt said sweetly as he pulled back, "And I need to show you something."

Blaine nodded, not able to find his voice quite yet as Kurt flipped back several pages in his sketch book and then laid it down in Blaine's lap. At first Blaine's breath caught in his throat as he saw sketch after sketch of himself. Sitting in that high wingback chair at _Aroma Mocha_ , or sipping coffee, a few close ups of just his eyes.

"Okay yeah that's a little embarrassing," Kurt said and Blaine looked at him with a grin. "But this is what you need to see." He pointed to the bottom corner of one of the pages.

The joyful feeling bubbling in Blaine's chest immediately went cold. There, in the corner was a dead-on sketch of a Dontizu.

"I drew that a while ago. Long before I knew about magic or heartstones or had ever seen that knocker on Felix's door."

Blaine's breathing started feeling a little shallow. "You've seen one of these creatures before?"

"No." Kurt shook his head. "I just drew it. I… I don't know how. It's a Dontizu isn't it?"

"Yes," Blaine said, pushing the word out as his lungs seemed to deflate.

"How is that possible?"

Blaine rubbed a hand across his brow. "Oh _god_." He moaned. "I've been so stupid!" He thought he had time, he thought he could wait, but he was already behind! He was out of time. He sprung up from the bed and paced the room, Kurt watching him closely.

"Blaine," Kurt pleaded and Blaine glanced back at his worried expression. It was now or never, Kurt had to know.

"You must have known what a Dontizu looked like because you had my stone, because you've had it for so long. You are connected to it now, in some way. You must have had some kind of… vision…"

"A vision?" Kurt asked, worrying his lip. "Of the Dontizu?"

"Yes, of the creatures after me and my heartstone."

Kurt's eyes widened and he patted the bed next to him with some force. "Sit down. Explain."

* * *

Blaine looked tired. Not sick like he had been a couple of days ago, but still more tired than Kurt liked. He had been waiting to ask Blaine all of his questions until Blaine was back on his feet, but he hadn't been able to hold back, and now Blaine was pacing the floor and looking like the end of the world was on its way. Plus, Blaine thought Kurt had had a vision of creatures that were after him? Why? Why did those creatures have to be after Blaine? Wasn't this all frightening enough without that?

Blaine came and sat down next to him, wearily combing his fingers though his hair, which was just a mess of curls at this point. He needed a haircut and a shave. Kurt wanted to run his hand over the stubble on his face, but didn't actually want to distract Blaine from the answers he was finally going to provide.

"I'm not sure where to start," Blaine said as he glanced at Kurt.

"Start with the Dontizu." Kurt prompted the thought of them making his stomach squirm, "Why are they after you?"

Blaine's eyes fluttered closed and he leaned his head back on the headboard. Kurt hated making him look so worried, but he needed to know what was going on here. If he was part of it, he _had_ to know.

"I need to start from the beginning," Blaine answered as he finally opened his eyes again. Kurt nodded and Blaine lifted the sketch book from Kurt's lap, looking down at the Dontizu as if the picture would spark some memory.

"My family was a family of power – meaning that we all had magic. It is a rare thing, it made us very strong, but it also made us a tempting target." Blaine ran his hand over his forehead. "You should know, before I continue, that we were happy for a while. As safe as possible and happy, we hardly ever used our magic, my parents didn't want the attention and they were just content to be a family together. It… was _my_ fault that that all changed." Blaine's face fell; he looked so heartbroken Kurt couldn't help but scoot closer to him on the bed so their shoulders were touching.

"As I grew, my parents realized that not only did I have magic, but it was different, more powerful than my family's magic. My parents knew since I was a toddler that it meant eventually _they_ would come for me." Blaine paused and Kurt waited, Blaine was looking straight ahead as if he didn't even see the room they were in, but instead was looking straight into the past. When it seemed like maybe he'd gotten lost in thought, Kurt prompted him.

"They who?"

"The Dontizu," Blaine answered softly, pulling himself out of his thoughts. "They used to be part of a magic sect that used their powers for personal gain and practiced the dark magics, they were power hungry and liked to hunt down those with strong magic and steal it." He looked back at Kurt. "They gained another's power by killing them. They came after me when I was young because they knew that once I had grown into my powers I'd be almost impossible to defeat."

Kurt shuddered at that, the gruesome, deadly creatures he's sketched coming after a young defenseless Blaine. He reached for his hand, squeezing it tight to remind himself that Blaine was here, next to him, alive and safe. "What happened?"

"I was five years old when they stormed our home." Blaine said, his eyes looking far too old for his young features, "My parents were ready, though; they sent me away under the care of Cooper, just in time. My father and mother died that night. They died giving their sons time to get away." Blaine looked down at his lap, his voice growing quiet. "I remember it was raining. I remember hearing howls coming from my home. And then…" He trailed off.

Kurt felt a lump forming in his throat and lifted Blaine's hand to his lips, pressing a soft kiss to his knuckles. Again he waited for Blaine to be ready to continue. He had questions, obviously, and he wanted to just wrap Blaine up in his arms and hold him close. Losing both of your parents so young... Kurt couldn't stand the thought of it. But he wanted Blaine to tell this in the way he needed. He wondered how long it had been since Blaine had actually told this story to someone.

"That was the night my heartstone was created," Blaine continued, looking down at their clasped hands as if pulling strength from them. "Cooper used a charm of my father's to create it, knowing that, as long as I had a heartstone, I was nearly untraceable to the Dontizu. They could still track me in their animal form, but they lived mostly as humans back then."

"You mean they can change back and forth between human and animal?" Kurt asked in astonishment.

"They are shape-shifters, the truth that the myth of werewolves is based on. We knew the Dontizu would stop at nothing to find me, so Cooper made it so that they couldn't – or at least that it would be very difficult for them to." Blaine sighed again, as if telling this story was making him weary.

Kurt lifted a hand to run his fingers through Blaine's curls. "So your heartstone makes it harder for them to find you."

"Yes."

"That's good, right?"

Blaine nodded, but his brows were furrowed, "The problem is I'm not complete now. My heartstone is part of me, but it's disconnected. I have been missing a part of my…. of my soul, for lack of a better word, since I was five. It changed my personality, probably not for the better, I don't even know who I'd be if I'd grown up complete. It makes me virtually immortal, but at a price."

"Well… I like who you are." Kurt said, not sure how else to comfort him. "No one knows who they would have been if their life had been different, but I'm rather fond of the Blaine I know." He smiled and leaned in, giving Blaine a kiss and enjoying the blush that immediately rose to his cheeks. Kurt wasn't sure what to say to all of this information, but he was glad he knew how to wipe the lost look off of Blaine's face. This story Blaine was weaving was surprising Kurt far less than he had expected, it was odd how quickly he was coming to accept the impossible.

Blaine's smile turned more sincere. "I think I'm better now than I have been. And I think that is because of you; you helped me remember how to feel human again."

"You are human, aren't you?" Kurt asked, his pulse quickening.

"Yes, but it doesn't always feel that way. Cooper used to be the one to keep me in check, to help me remember who I am… but then…" Blaine looked away, breaking their eye contact and the lost look crept back to his face.

"But then?"

"Then Cooper decided that he needed his own heartstone in order to keep me safe. He'd been using other magics to keep himself young and to extend his life so that he'd be around long enough to protect me. I had stopped aging around twenty-six years of age and he still looked to be in his early thirties, but really we'd both been on the run for over half a century-"

"Half a _century_?" Kurt had been doing his best not to interrupt, but that made Blaine older than Kurt had imagined.

"Yes." Blaine answered as if he didn't even consider his age and oddity.

"Okay." Kurt shook his head trying to clear it, "So you and Cooper had been together for over fifty years and then…?"

"And then one day, he just decided he needed a heartstone too, because then he would be nearly immortal and harder to find. He didn't ask me what I thought, didn't let me tell him how empty it makes you feel and how that emptiness can so easily be filled with darkness – he just did it. It was a mistake."

Kurt swallowed deeply. "Is that when he stole your heartstone?"

"We stuck together for a few more decades before we started fighting; we could hardly stand the sight of each other. That's when I decided I was tired of running, of hiding, of living my life in fear. The Dontizu had changed by then, almost completely abandoning their human forms, they had also grown in strength and numbers, I knew that even with my heartstone they now had enough strength to eventually find me.

"I chose to stop running. I wanted to reconnect with my heartstone, to regain my complete powers and fight the Dontizu. Cooper was against it, so strongly that he stole my heartstone so I couldn't complete the ritual to reconnect with my soul, my full powers - and then he fled. That was 18 years ago."

It was Kurt's turn to let out a long breath as he took this all in and let the story play out in his mind. It explained so much about Blaine, the coolness and distance Kurt found in him when they first met and even his reluctance to talk about himself. His life sounded lonely and hard; Kurt hated that. Hated that, just because of something he was born with, that he was made to give up a chance at a normal happy life.

"18 years ago, you lost your heartstone and your brother, so not only did you have to stay on the run, but you had to do it alone?"

"Yes."

Kurt bit his lip, not wanting to cry in fear that Blaine would want to comfort him when it should be the other way around. "I found your heartstone 18 years ago." He let his fingers trail up and down Blaine's arm, wanting to touch him, be near him, show him that he no longer needed to feel lonely.

"That's the part of all of this I don't understand," Blaine said, his eyebrows knitting together. "Why would Cooper steal the stone and immediately lose it? Where did you find it anyway?"

"On a beach in Virginia," Kurt answered. "I found it in a sand castle I made."

Blaine smiled at that, "I have absolutely no explanation for that, but the thought of little Kurt on a beach finding my heartstone… that's a nice thought."

Kurt smiled as well and leaned forward to press a soft kiss to the corner of Blaine's lips. "I'm so glad I found it. I feel like I've been… I don't know… helping to take care of you all these years without even knowing It."

"You have been," Blaine answered, his face still close to Kurt and his voice soft. "I'm so glad it was you who found it. A heartstone compels people to take it - to keep it, as Aaron did. _God,_ I was lucky someone with such a pure heart found mine."

Kurt bumped his forehead against Blaine's and gave him another soft kiss. "Did you…" Kurt was almost afraid to ask this next question. "Did you ever spend time with me just because I had your stone?"

Blaine looked at him seriously, meeting his eyes. "No, _never_. It was never about that between you and me, I promise."

Kurt nodded in relief, he knew that in his heart, but it was good to hear all the same. "Okay, next question." He really needed to be close to Blaine right now, his heart was beating heavily, everything he'd just learned making him fall for Blaine that much more. He climbed up into Blaine's lap and looped his arms around his neck. "A very important question," Kurt asked in mock seriousness.

"Okay." Blaine said solemnly.

"How old are you?"

Blaine's eyebrows shot up as if that wasn't the question he was expecting before he smiled. "I was born in 1902."

Kurt's heart thudded in his chest for a moment. "Blaine… that makes you 114 years old!

Blaine just nodded.

"That's… that's a long time to feel like you're incomplete."

Blaine's shoulders slumped. "Too long."

Kurt lifted a hand to cup his face, brushing a thumb over his stubble. "At least you aren't alone anymore," he said softly. "You have me."

Blaine leaned in, reaching up to cling to the back of Kurt's shirt and pull him close, kissing his lips softly and then letting the kiss linger and build. He pulled back with a soft smile. "You are the best thing to ever happen to me in my long life."

Kurt swallowed deeply, he wanted to show Blaine how much he meant to him, he didn't want Blaine to have any doubt of it. And he needed to calm this restless feeling in his stomach, the knowledge that Blaine's life was in danger. He'd felt like the Dontizu were on his tail after seeing that knocker on Felix's door and he knew they were set on killing Blaine. It made him hurt, he wanted to comfort Blaine as much as he needed the comfort himself.

He was still straddling Blaine's lap as he kissed his lips and then let his mouth trail down Blaine's neck. They sat like that for a while, Kurt straddling him and Blaine's hands holding Kurt's hips, lips sliding together. Kurt's breath was heavy and his body ached to be closer to Blaine, to feel his skin. His hands slid down Blaine's firm back and started inching up under his shirt so that Kurt could feel his warm skin. Blaine moaned into the kiss and then broke away to lift his arms over his head, Kurt took that wordless offer and lifted his shirt up over his head.

Blaine scooted down the bed so that he was lying on his back and Kurt smiled as he hovered over him, looking down at his bright golden eyes. "You really are feeling better aren't you?"

"Yes. Thanks to you," Blaine said practically beaming at him.

Kurt glanced down at Blaine's chest, tan and strong and smooth. There were scars there, several of them; Kurt had noticed them briefly when he and Felix had changed Blaine into pajamas. Kurt wanted to ask what they were from, but now wasn't the time; instead, he just leaned down and captured Blaine's lips with his own again.

Soon, Kurt had lowered himself down so that he was almost completely on top of Blaine, their lips and hands still moving. Kurt was getting warm now, Blaine's skin like an electric current, and he stripped his own shirt off and smiled into the next kiss with Blaine as their chests pressed together.

Blaine held the back of his head with one hand, the other traveling down his back to cup his ass, "Is this okay?" He panted into the kiss and Kurt just answered in the affirmative by pressing back against his hand.

Kurt felt heady with his longing for Blaine. They'd never gone further than this before, heated make-out sessions, but right now, Kurt knew he wanted more. He was nearly desperate for it. He moved away a little so he could look at Blaine's eyes and smiled as he heard Blaine let out a little groan of protest at not being kissed anymore. Kurt reached back with one hand and started pulling off his pants, watching Blaine's expression and wondering what he'd think about this move.

Blaine's eyes widened for a moment when he realized what Kurt was doing, but then he smiled and helped Kurt out of his pajamas and then he lifted his hips off the bed to pull off his pants as well. They rolled over to their sides, legs tangled together and hands roaming, touching and discovering parts of each other they hadn't explored before. Kurt started to feel a little sweaty as he pressed against Blaine, letting their hips come together as he let out a soft moan. He sighed into Blaine's mouth and he was just about to ask Blaine if maybe he was ready to go further when Blaine pulled back and looked at him.

His expression was bright and his pupils wide, his dark lashes framed his eyes and his lips were plump and red from kissing. Kurt smiled at him and Blaine looked at him with so much intensity that it made his heart skip a beat. " _I love you Kurt_." Blaine whispered and Kurt held his breath. "I love you more than I've ever loved anyone, more than I thought that I could with the splintered heart I carry."

Kurt choked back a happy sob, not even able to speak; instead, he surged forward and kissed Blaine soundly, letting his lips move down to kiss Blaine's chin and jaw and neck and then back to his lips. Eventually he was able to speak again, to say the words that had been in the back of his mind for weeks now.

"I love you too," he answered reverently as their lips parted for breath. Blaine stared up at him in awe as if looking at something precious and inconceivable. "Don't look so surprised." Kurt laughed before kissing him again. They didn't speak again for a long time, bodies pressed and sliding together, hands holding and fingers gripping.

Soon there was nothing between them at all as they both slipped out of their undergarments and Kurt was lost in a haze of desire and _I love you_ and _yes yes just like that_!

Blaine was strong but gentle, moving in ways that made Kurt feel like he was going to come undone. Kurt had done this before with others, but it had never felt like this. So perfect and whole, Blaine's moans and sure hands and his soft skin against Kurt's lips.

Blaine let Kurt take the lead as they rocked against each other, and Kurt was grateful for the lube and condoms Blaine kept in his bedside table. They took everything slow, savoring the chance to be with each other in this new way, and when Kurt came, it was with professions of love on his lips and Blaine crying his name beneath him.

Kurt felt shaky afterwards, but full of joy as he laid on top of Blaine, not wanting to move or break the spell they had created. Eventually, though, the position became too uncomfortable for both of them and they moved enough to clean up a little.

Kurt fell over on his side, lying next to Blaine as Blaine stretched out happily on the bed. Kurt had never seen his face look quite as relaxed as it did now and he couldn't help but press a kiss against Blaine's cheek.

Blaine turned to look at him, cheeks rosy and eyes sparkling, "Did you mean it?"

"Mean what?"

"That you love me," Blaine asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Of course I do," Kurt said, a laugh bubbling happily in his chest. "Did you mean it?"

"God yes Kurt."

Kurt smiled and moved to pillow his head on Blaine's chest, his ear over Blaine's heart and hearing its rhythmic _thud thud_. Kurt let his fingers trail up and down Blaine's stomach and chest as Blaine sighed in contentment under him.

"Why did your heartstone start beating at Aaron's?" Kurt asked, the thud of Blaine's heart bringing his mind back to that afternoon.

"Because I was close and looking for it."

"That wasn't the first time I had heard that, though. The day I lost your stone, the day Aaron took it, I heard it beating then too. That's why I had it out in the first place."

"When was that?"

Kurt thought for a moment. "The same day you met Aaron while we were at _Aroma Mocha_."

"Oh." Blaine took a deep breath and Kurt smiled as his head moved up and down with Blaine's chest. "I did a ritual that day, looking for my heartstone – that's probably why. It was probably beating the same time I was having visions of _you_."

"Of me?" Kurt said, lifting his head to look at Blaine. "That's when you had a vision that told you I was connected to your stone?"

"Yes, but I didn't want to believe it. I left for London to talk to a… contact… to have her interpret my vision. She said you were the key to finding my heartstone. I just didn't listen."

"Why not?"

"Because I didn't want you in danger. I still don't. I don't want anything bad to happen to you because of me."

Kurt lay his head back down on Blaine's chest. "If anything happened, and I'm not saying it would, but if it did, it wouldn't be your fault. I've had that stone for 18 years, I was always involved."

Blaine wrapped an arm around Kurt and held him close.

"I heard it beating then too, the day I found it on the beach," Kurt continued. "Were you looking for it then?"

"Cooper had just taken it, so yes, that's probably why you heard it. Unless…"

Kurt watched Blaine's face, he could almost see ideas flying behind his eyes, like he was putting puzzle pieces together in his mind. "Unless… unless it knew it would be safe with you. Maybe it was beating because it was looking for you?"

Kurt was quiet for a moment, still tracing patterns on Blaine's skin with his fingertips. "I like that idea. That your heartstone was looking for me even then."

Kurt felt Blaine chuckle and it made Kurt want to stay like this forever. Happy and safe and in love. He knew it couldn't last though. Blaine had his heartstone back and the Dontizu were looking for him. Blaine must have a plan and Kurt knew it would be dangerous. His fingers trailed up Blaine's chest and he lifted his head to look down at a scar, pale and round and just over Blaine's heart.

"What is this from?" Kurt asked, tracing it.

Blaine glanced down. "Gunshot wound," he said casually.

" _Gunshot wound_. To your _heart_?"

Blaine nodded.

"You really are immortal."

"Nearly." He said with a smile.

"Did it hurt?"

" _Yes_."

The emphasis in Blaine's voice made Kurt's own heart ache. He pressed a kiss to the scar before laying his head back on Blaine's chest and letting his fingers move down to a long scar that started at Blaine's ribcage on the left and cut across to his hip on the other side. "What is this from?"

"A duel. With swords."

"Well of course it is," Kurt answered, trying to sound light but feeling a little jittery. Not only did he not like the idea of Blaine hurt, all of this was just further proof that Blaine had had a long hard life before he ever met Kurt. Kurt ducked down to kiss that scar as well.

There were other scars too, one around Blaine's bicep, a long one down one leg, something that looked like a circular burn in the middle of his chest. Kurt didn't ask about all of them, he didn't want to bring up any more bad memories. But he did slowly kiss each one, starting at his arm and down to his leg and up his body to place a gentle kiss to the scar on the center of his chest all the while Blaine sighed beneath him. When he came back to snuggle his head against Blaine again, he knew he needed to ask the question he was avoiding.

"What are you going to do now that you have your heartstone back?" He finally forced himself to say, but he didn't look up at Blaine's face, not wanting to see the expression there.

"I was going to wait… but if you are having visions of Dontizu, then they are close. I have to reconnect with my heartstone, Kurt."

"And then?"

"And then I have to face the Dontizu. I have to end them once and for all – like I wanted to 18 years ago."

Kurt's chest felt tight, he knew that was what Blaine was going to stay, it was part of the reason he felt so desperate to be near him, to touch him, to hold him, as if he knew trying times were ahead. "Oh."

Blaine moved, rolling them over so that they were both on their sides facing each other. "I have to Kurt, not just for me this time, but for you as well."

"I don't want you to do anything dangerous for my sake."

Blaine shook his head. "They are already coming Kurt, they could be here now and just biding their time. Now that I have my stone, the Dontizu will be even hungrier to get to me. In their human forms they may have wanted me whole so that they could steal my power, but the Dontizu are mostly animal now, and they'll want me like this, fractured, so they can drain my heartstone. They feed off of it."

Kurt felt a little sick to his stomach. "And being nearly immortal won't help?" he asked hopefully.

"It wouldn't help you, if they got to you, they'd just… they'd…" Blaine's face grew a little pale and he didn't finish that thought. "And if they got to me or my heartstone, no it wouldn't save me. It would be my ruin. If the Dontizu feed off of my stone, it leaves heartstone remains behind, and it wouldn't kill me, it would just make me…" Blaine let out a long pained sigh. "It would make me one of them. A horrible, cursed, shape-shifting creature starving for blood and the souls of those with magic. It would make me a monster."

Kurt stared into Blaine's troubled eyes as his heart pounded against his chest. "Oh my god."

"I'd rather die than let that happen. I have to restore my heartstone and face them. It is my only chance to actually _live_. To live a real life instead of this imitation my life has been so far. And I have more reason than ever to want to live now."

Kurt nodded even as he felt his eyes filling with tears. "What can I do to help?"

Blaine's determined face softened and the tips of his mouth turned up in a small smile. "Oh _Kurt_."

"I'm _serious_. I know you have to do this, I understand that, but let me help. Don't expect me to just stand aside while you go to face all of this alone!"

Blaine shook his head, but before he could answer, Kurt continued. "I'm already involved. You can't keep me away from it now. Besides I'm having visions of Dontizu, doesn't that mean there is a chance they already know about me?"

Blaine took in a sharp breath at that. "God I hope not."

"But they may."

Blaine furrowed his brow and rubbed a hand across his forehead like this was giving him a headache. "Okay, okay… so the first thing I have to do before we can worry about anything else is reconnect with my heartstone."

"And how do you do that?"

Blaine sat up in bed, the sheets pooled around his waist, and if Kurt wasn't so intent on the life and death situation they were in, he would have marveled at how sculpted and perfect Blaine looked, scars and all. Okay, maybe he did marvel a little bit.

"It is a simple ritual really. I just need the same charm of my father's that Cooper used to make the heartstone in the first place."

"Where are we going to find that?" Kurt asked as he sat up as well. He almost hoped that getting this charm would be a long drawn-out process so that there would be more time before Blaine went off to face these monsters.

"I have it already," Blaine said, nodding to the wall where his safe was. "I took it when Cooper and I parted ways. All I needed was my stone and now, thanks to you, I have that too. I could… I could do the ritual now."

"Now?" Kurt asked, his chest hurting. " _Right now_?"

"I was going to wait." Blaine answered, giving him an apologetic look. "To give us time, but if you are sketching the Dontizu, I have already waited too long."

Kurt's throat felt dry. "Could we have breakfast first at least?" He pleaded. This morning had started so perfectly and now it felt like things were suddenly spiraling out of control. Blaine looked away from the wall and back to Kurt, probably noticing the distressed look on his face. He smiled a little and held Kurt's face, his thumb running over his lips. "Yes, breakfast first is a good idea."

They got up and showered and got dressed, Blaine putting on clothes other than pajamas for the first time in two days. They made breakfast together, pancakes and fruit salad, and it was all so wonderfully hopeful and domestic that Kurt tried the best he could to push ideas of matted fur and sharp teeth and red eyes out of his head and just enjoy being with the man he loved. The man who loved him in return.

They bumped shoulders and hummed to the radio and traded kisses and then played footsie while eating. It was so near perfect that it made Kurt want to cry.

After breakfast, they were slow to clean the kitchen, it was as if they both wanted to put this off as long as possible.

"Should we call Felix to come over?" Kurt asked, trying to think of any way to stall the inevitable.

"Felix can't do anything to help, and at this point, I want to keep him away from this as much as possible. For his own safety."

"Right." Kurt leaned back against a kitchen counter and crossed his arms over his chest. "So we are doing this then?"

Blaine rubbed the back of his neck. "You could go stay with Felix for a while; as soon as this is done, it will be like a red neon target on my back. It won't be safe, but Felix's place is pretty well protected and-"

"No." Kurt interrupted him. "You just said you didn't want Felix involved and besides, I am not leaving you."

"Kurt, I understand why you want to stay - I would if I were you too - but you have to realize, I may not be able to keep you safe. You can stay for the ritual but then we have to find a safe place for you until this is over."

"And by 'over' you mean when you've defeated the monsters that are after you." _Or they turn you into one of them._ Kurt thought but he couldn't bear to say it.

"Yes."

Kurt nodded. "The ritual first though." Kurt wasn't really planning on leaving him, but this would give him some time to decide what to do. Everything was happening too quickly. He had just learned the full truth about Blaine and his heartstone and now they were going to perform a ritual that Blaine had been waiting decades to do? It was all a little hard to process.

Kurt followed Blaine back into his bedroom where he unlocked his safe and pulled out both his heartstone, red and glistening in his palm, and a small round charm that looked to be made out of marble. It was no bigger than a dollar coin and hung from a leather cord.

"That's all you need?"

Blaine nodded and then sat down crisscross on the floor, Kurt followed suit, sitting facing him. He looked down at the charm, it had some kind of carving on it, but Kurt couldn't read it. It looked very old though.

"This was my father's, the last thing I have of him. His last gift to try and save me. And now I'm about to undo the magic he and my mother died for."

Kurt's throat felt tight. "What will happen to you?" He asked. "When this is done. It won't… change you will it?"

Blaine looked up to meet his eyes. "I don't know. I haven't been fully me since I was five years old, it may change me, but hopefully for the better."

Kurt couldn't hide the fear in his expression, Blaine leaned forward, placing a hand on Kurt's knee. "I'll still be me Kurt, I'll just be _more_ me. And I'll still love you, I'll always love you."

Kurt nodded.

"Do you want to help? It is completely safe." Blaine offered.

Kurt took a breath, yes of course he wanted to help in any way he could. "What can I do?"

Blaine looped the leather cord around his neck and reached for Kurt's hand. "I just need physical contact with someone. Magic is easier with two people. Your strength will help build my own. You just have to focus on the heartstone. That's all. Just think about it and me becoming one again."

"I can do that," Kurt said, even though his heart was beating painfully and he just wanted to go back to earlier that morning when he and Blaine were tangled together in bed, lost in their passion for one another.

Blaine held the heartstone in his right hand and held on to Kurt with his left. He pressed the stone against the charm on his chest and closed his eyes. Kurt kept his eyes open as the heartstone started to light up, he watched Blaine's beautiful face as it was cast in the red glow of the stone. Blaine started whispering something under his breath, some kind of chant, it wasn't in English, or any language Kurt had ever heard.

As he continued chanting, the heartstone started growing brighter and brighter filling the room with a deep red light. Kurt tried to focus on the stone, to think about Blaine and the stone becoming one again, but it was hard when his thoughts were mostly just, _keep him safe, please keep Blaine safe_.

Kurt noticed another light, a more yellowish glow coming from the charm around Blaine's neck, it looked hot, like it should burn. Then Kurt remembered the circular burn he'd seen on Blaine chest and he gasped realizing that it probably _was_ burning Blaine, hurting him. Kurt blinked back tears and Blaine started chanting louder. The room seemed to vibrate and then with a loud cracking sound the charm against Blaine's chest burst into white light and shattered, pieces of it propelled across the room. Kurt had to duck one that came flying towards him.

Blaine let go of Kurt's hand and fell backwards, head hitting the ground and the still-glowing heartstone rolling out of his hand.

"Blaine!" Kurt moved as fast as he could, crawling to Blaine and leaning over him, placing his hand on his chest and feeling a measure of relief when he felt a heartbeat. "Blaine! Are you okay? What happened? Blaine please say something!'

Blaine's eyes fluttered open as the red glow in the room started to fade.

"Blaine?"

Blaine glanced at his heartstone laying near him, all the light out of it now and then he stared up at Kurt, his eyes wide and worried. "It didn't work."

"What?"

"Oh god, it didn't work." He sat back up again groaning a little in pain and all Kurt could do was stay close and rub his hand up and down Blaine's back "Why didn't it…" Blaine's eyes flitted over the room, taking in the broken pieces of his charm flung across the floor. His face darkened, looking almost as frightening as it had when Aaron had come at Kurt with that baseball bat.

"Blaine what is it? What went wrong?"

Blaine looked at Kurt, his eyes narrowed, and uttered just one word as an explanation. " _Cooper_."


	14. Chapter 13

**AN: Happy Holidays! I know its been a little while since I've updated, but December is crazy for me. I hope it's been good for you though! We are getting close to the end of this fic and I hope to go back to weekly updates (crosses fingers). Thanks for sticking with me! And enjoy...**

* * *

Kurt watched as Blaine rushed around the bedroom, opening drawers and throwing things into the suitcase he'd opened on the bed. Tossing in clothes from the closet without even a second glance at them.

"Blaine," Kurt called, trying to sound calm even as Blaine was very obviously on-edge. "Blaine," He called again as Blaine brought some toiletries out of the bathroom. "Blaine, talk to me! What are you doing?"

Blaine finally turned around to look at him. He looked healthier than he had in days, but there were still dark rings under his eyes that worried Kurt. Kurt walked up to him, placing his hand on his chest and then pulling it back quickly when Blaine let out a hiss.

Kurt wordlessly opened the top few buttons of Blaine's shirt to reveal a fresh circular burn almost directly over his old scar. "Oh Blaine."

"It's fine," Blaine said, moving to button up his shirt again.

"No, it isn't," Kurt said, looking from Blaine's chest to his eyes and trying to wear an expression that said, _don't you dare argue with me on this_ , "You sit down on the bed while I treat that burn."

"Kur-"

"And it will give you a chance to explain what is going on."

Blaine hesitated for only a moment before slumping down on the bed. Kurt smiled at him. Blaine liked to act tough, but he usually did the sensible thing in the end… and by "sensible thing," Kurt meant agreeing with him.

Kurt went to the master bathroom and dug around a little before he found a first aid kit. He went back to Blaine with the kit and a damp cool washcloth. He sat down next to Blaine on the bed and unbuttoned the rest of his shirt before he started caring for the wound. "Why are you packing?" Kurt asked, glancing at Blaine's face-Blaine was staring intently at him, his eyes soft. "And what went wrong with the ritual? I'm assuming the charm shattering and you hitting your head on the floor wasn't really the plan."

The tiniest smile curved on Blaine's lips before he let out a sigh and ran his fingers though his curly hair. "It wasn't my father's charm. It's a fake," Blaine started to explain as Kurt cleaned his wound and then very gently started smoothing aloe vera over it. "It was a good fake; he even put a little magic in it so I wouldn't realize."

"Who? Your brother?"

"Yes. I've been so rash. I should have been able to tell the charm was a fake, but I've been so focused on finding my heartstone, I just took it for granted."

"Why would Cooper give you a fake charm?" Kurt asked as he cut a piece of gauze to cover the burn. When Blaine didn't answer, Kurt looked back up at him. "What's wrong?" He asked, seeing Blaine's eyes tracking his every move.

"I'm still not used to you taking care of me."

Kurt's heart tightened and he leaned forward to press a kiss to Blaine's lips. "I love you Blaine," He whispered as he pulled back. "Helping to take care of you when you need it comes along with that."

Blaine's cheeks had taken on a rosy hue that always made Kurt's heart skip a beat and Blaine smiled for real now. "I love you too," He said, brushing his knuckles down Kurt's cheek.

Kurt had to clear his throat and focus on the information he was trying to get from Blaine, when what he really wanted to do was kiss him right down onto the bed. "And why are you packing?"

"I'm going to find Cooper. Cooper has had a plan all along, a plan to keep me from reconnecting with my heartstone. I didn't even consider that he would have thought this all through so thoroughly… It is time I find him and get the real charm. I can't do anything else without that."

Kurt couldn't help but feel relieved; this meant a delay in Blaine going to face the Dontizu – and anything that postponed that event was a good thing in Kurt's eyes. "Okay… you need to find your brother you haven't seen in years, how do we do that?" Kurt taped the bandage in place and placed a kiss over it for good measure.

" _We_ don't do anything. I'm going to London," Blaine said, lifting Kurt's hand gently from his chest so he could stand and finish packing.

"I don't think so. I'll pack up my things here and we'll have to swing by my place for a few more essentials and my passport, but I'm coming with you."

"Kurt," Blaine said sternly. "I thought we agreed you'd find somewhere safe after the ritual?"

Kurt shrugged, "Well you haven't completed your ritual yet have you? Besides you don't _own_ London, I can go if I want to." Kurt knew he was being stubborn, but there was no way he was letting Blaine out of his sight now. If Blaine went to find his brother and then to confront the Dontizu, Kurt didn't know if he'd ever see him again. Kurt shuddered at the thought, he wasn't going to lose Blaine.

Blaine shook his head and then chuckled, "I don't know what else I expected from you. Hurry up and pack then, I want to catch a flight this afternoon."

Kurt quickly - and much more neatly than Blaine - packed his belongings and then they took a cab to Kurt's apartment so he could grab a few more things and his passport. Kurt made Blaine come up with him with the excuse that he could use his help, but really he couldn't settle the fear that, if left alone, Blaine would rush off to London without him.

London.

Kurt had never been there before, and while a romantic getaway with his boyfriend to London sounded nice, that wasn't what this was. Still, as they rode to the airport and stood in line to board the plane, Kurt couldn't help but bounce on his toes a little bit.

"Excited?" Blaine asked, reaching out to hold Kurt's hand and grinning at him.

"I know, I _know_ , the circumstances aren't good, but I've never been to England." Maybe they would go back someday when this was all over just to enjoy being there together… assuming this all ended well. "How do you know Cooper will be in London?" Kurt asked to distract himself from his nerves.

"I don't know where he is." Blaine answered, "But I know someone in London that will be able to find home. Since Cooper and I went our separate ways, I've never tried to find him, but I've always know I could if I wanted too."

"Why not find him when you were looking for your stone then?"

Blaine was quiet for a moment, and Kurt watched him swallow before he finally answered. "I knew that seeing him again would mean a confrontation, and as angry as I am with him…" Blaine looked Kurt in the eyes and shrugged a little. "He is still me bother, and a fight would mean… I'm strong than him you know, magically, and I didn't want…" Blaine trailed off again.

"You don't want to hurt your brother even though he betrayed you." Kurt finished for him.

"We spent a lot of time in London while I was growing up." Blaine said changing the subject, "I'm originally from Wales, but we couldn't stay there, not with the Dontizu looking for me. It couldn't turn out he is there."

"You're Welsh?" Kurt asked in surprise, allowing the subject change. It seemed like he was never going to come to an end of things about Blaine that surprised him. "You don't have an accent."

Blaine shrugged and handed his plane ticket to the flight attendant as they moved up in line. "I like to fit in where I am, and I've been in America so long, it feels natural to talk this way."

Once in the plane, Blaine was kind enough to give him the window seat. They were flying first class since Blaine had bought the tickets-another first for Kurt.

"So we are going to see this friend of yours in London then?" He watched Blaine's profile as his jaw clenched and his eyebrows furrowed. Since Blaine only recently started opening up to Kurt, he'd become an expert at reading his facial expressions, "Not a friend then…"

"No, she is not a friend, but she can be useful." Blaine placed his hand over Kurt's in his lap and squeezed his fingers gently. "She isn't safe… none of this is safe."

"I know," Kurt answered and squeezed Blaine's hand back.

* * *

Kurt had made a valiant effort to stay awake for the seven-hour flight to London, but he eventually succumbed and fell asleep, his head leaning against the cabin wall. Blaine was tired himself, but too high strung to relax. They'd get to London and get a hotel room, and hopefully a little rest before they went and saw the soothsayer. Last time Blaine was here, she'd told him she knew where Cooper was; he was just hoping that it wasn't a lie.

Blaine's stomach was tied in knots. Everything was moving so quickly; he'd found his stone, he'd attempted the ritual, and now he was on his way to find his brother, a man he'd sworn he'd never speak to again. It was a lot to come to grips with.

And then there was Kurt.

Blaine would never have imagined he'd be on his way to so much danger with the man he loved by his side. Of course, he'd never imagined he'd love someone the way he loved Kurt. He hadn't thought he was capable of this kind of love at all.

There had been men in Blaine's long life – of course there had been men, Blaine had been alive for a long time - there'd even been a few semi-relationships. Before Kurt, he occasionally hooked up with a nameless, faceless stranger in New York just to _feel something_. But none of it compared to Kurt. Kurt who came into his life like a comet and completely stole his heart.

Blaine hated bringing Kurt into danger, but honestly, Kurt might be in danger at home, too; besides, there was this look Kurt got on his face sometimes that Blaine knew better than to fight with. At least that's what he told himself when it was too hard to admit that maybe he didn't want to face all of this alone -he'd been alone too long.

Blaine glanced over at Kurt, his usually pristine hair smashed up against the wall and his mouth open as he very softly snored. Blaine smiled, and he could feel his chest expand with happiness. Kurt would be mortified at his appearance right now but… what had Kurt called him before? Cute? That wasn't quite right. Adorable, Kurt looked adorable like this.

Blaine would do anything he had to do to get the Dontizu off his back, he had so much more to lose now and so much more to fight for.

Blaine wasn't sure when it happened, but he eventually fell asleep himself, only waking up when the wheels touched down at Heathrow airport. He groaned and glanced up to find his head resting on Kurt's shoulder and Kurt looking down at him with rosy cheeks from napping and a sleepy smile.

"Good morning sleepy head," Kurt said as Blaine sat up and stretched his arms over his head. " _Is_ it morning? I actually have no idea what time it is. That's kind of a strange feeling."

"Around 4am London time," Blaine said standing up and still stretching. Non-stop flights always made him feel a little compressed.

"We aren't going straight to see this contact of yours, are we?"

"I thought we'd get a hotel room and crash first."

"Oh thank goodness." Kurt sighed as he stood and then immediately crumpled back down in his chair again. "Ow."

"What's wrong?" Blaine asked, quickly sitting next to him.

"My leg is asleep." Kurt laughed.

Blaine smiled and leaned in, placing his hand on Kurt's leg right above his knee. "Here let me." He watched Kurt's face as his eyes went wide and his mouth dropped open.

"What…" Kurt looked around as people started filing out of the airplane and then lowered his voice, "How did you do that, what did you just do?"

"Does your leg feel better?"

"Yes, much."

Blaine tried to hold back his smile, Kurt's face looked astonished, raised eyebrows and parted lips, but he didn't look afraid. It had been a long time since Blaine really had someone who he could be this open with about his magic. "I just did a little minor healing spell. No biggie."

"No biggie?" Kurt deadpanned. "Yeah, a healing spell, that's an everyday thing."

Blaine just smiled at him. Kurt was handling the whole magic thing better than he could have hoped, and Blaine loved to see the surprise on his face. Though, really as far as magic went, Kurt hadn't seen anything yet.

"If you can heal me, why can't you heal yourself? Like that burn on your chest?"

Blaine shook his head. "It just doesn't work that way. Though I do already heal faster than most." Blaine stood again and held out his hand to Kurt who willingly took it and they walked off the plane together.

After taking a cab ride and checking into their hotel room, Blaine was exhausted, even though he'd slept on the flight. He flopped down on the bed – a big king bed, he didn't think Kurt would mind sharing – and watched Kurt as he actually unpacked his suitcase, putting his clothes neatly in the dresser.

"You know you could stop being so goddamn charming and get over here and rest," Blaine said. "We have a big day tomorrow… or today."

Kurt turned and lifted his eyebrow at him before crawling up the bed to Blaine. "How is unpacking my suitcase charming?" He said with a smirk looking down at Blaine and Blaine's stomach swooped.

"Most people just keep their things in the bag."

"My clothes will get _wrinkled_ ," Kurt answered indignantly.

Blaine couldn't help himself; he lifted a hand to cup the back of Kurt's neck and pulled him down for a kiss. Kurt hummed into it and then melted down, his body spread over Blaine's. They stayed like that, lazily kissing, Kurt's lips soft and tasting of mint chapstick, until Blaine couldn't stifle a yawn. Kurt laughed at him and got up, grabbing two pairs of pajamas and tossing one to him.

"Sleep. Like you said, we have a busy day today."

Blaine slipped on the pajamas and then got under the covers where Kurt joined him. He laid his head on Kurt's chest as Kurt played with his hair. His body was so relaxed being this near Kurt, but his mind was a mess of emotions. Soon, he'd hopefully find Cooper and he hated the thought of what could happen there, and then it was on to meet the Dontizu… because he _would_ face the Dontizu once and for all, even if it was the death of him…

After getting a few hours of sleep, Blaine woke up warm and happily snug against Kurt. He blinked his eyes open and found Kurt watching him with a soft smile on his face.

"How long have you been awake?"

"Off and on for a while," Kurt answered. "I feel… anxious."

Blaine nodded and leaned in quickly to steal a kiss. "Let's just get this started then, okay?"

Kurt took a long deep breath and then nodded as well. Once they were both showered and dressed and had grabbed some breakfast, Kurt strangely quiet the whole time, Blaine knew it was time to go see the soothsayer. They hopped on the Tube and Kurt seemed to relax a little bit, maybe he felt a little more at ease because it reminded him of New York.

Once they got to their stop, Kurt reached for Blaine's had and held on tight.

"Kurt, I promise I'm not going to let anything happen to you. Don't be worried."

Kurt stopped dead in his tracks and stared at him for a moment before rolling his eyes. "I'm not worried about me. I'm worried about you. You need to protect yourself just as much as you would protect me. Okay?"

"Okay."

" _Promise_."

"I promise Kurt," Blaine answered, letting his hand cup Kurt's cheek for a moment. "The soothsayer isn't a problem… well she shouldn't be. So let's just focus on that part, one step at a time."

Kurt didn't let go of Blaine's hand but his shoulders did seem to relax a little as they walked down the street to the psychic's shop.

Kurt laughed out loud when he saw it. Tacky lettering and blinking neon _open_ sign. "Blaine, if you needed a strip mall fortune teller, I don't think we had to come all the way to London for it."

Blaine could see Kurt was joking and it made him feel better about all of this. "I'm very particular with who I let tell me my future," Blaine answered with a wink.

They walked into the dark front room; there was one other person there, an old woman sleeping in the corner, but it didn't look like anyone else was waiting to get their fortunes told. Blaine kept moving forward through the beaded doorway and into the even darker room where a table with the crystal ball was set up. The same woman from when Blaine was here last, wearing the same scarf over her head and big gold hoop earrings, looked up from where she was laying out tarot cards.

"You've got to be kidding me," Kurt said, looking around at the room that was so stereotypical it was almost comical.

"My grandmother isn't home," The woman said, not looking up from her cards.

"She should have been able to tell I was coming."

"Why do you think she isn't home?"

Blaine glanced at Kurt who seemed to actually be relaxed by the absurdity of this place. He was glad for that. "We'll wait then."

"Means very little to me if you do," The woman answered, finally looking up from her cards. "You brought a… friend." Her eyes landed on Kurt. "You should sit, friend, let me read your cards while you wait."

"I don't know about that," Kurt said with a smile.

"You can if you want," Blaine answered. "What she does is little more than parlor tricks."

The woman sneered at him. "I may not have the skill of my grandmother, but I'm not completely without knowledge."

Blaine took a step forward and the woman leaned back in her chair as if being this close to him made her uneasy. "We'll wait in the kitchen."

"Three cards," The woman said, looking away from Blaine and towards Kurt. "Just choose three cards."

Kurt hesitated a moment, but then stepped forward. "Fine," he said, but he didn't sit down. The woman smiled and shuffled the cards before fanning them out on the table. Kurt pointed to one and the woman turned it over.

"The lovers," she said.

Kurt smiled.

"Another."

Again, Kurt pointed and the woman turned over The Fool card. Kurt pointed for the last time and the woman turned over the Three of Swords. Blaine grimaced.

"So what is all that supposed to mean?" Kurt asked, crossing his arms over his chest and looking unimpressed.

"The Lovers card indicates new love in your life, new but strong, centuries deep."

"How can it be new and centuries-" Kurt started, but the old woman flashed him a warning look and then continued. "The Fool card is you of course."

"Excuse me?" Kurt arched his brow and Blaine held back a smile. He wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of his expression right now.

"The Fool doesn't always mean foolish – it could also mean innocence, inexperience. Someone unacquainted with the ways and dangers of our world."

"Okay…"

"The Fool may also run head first into trouble, especially paired with the Lovers card. We all know love makes you blind."

Kurt's expression was bored, but Blaine could tell behind his eyes he was actually interested. "And what about that sword one," Kurt said, pointing to the card with three swords piercing a heart.

"The Three of Swords…" The woman grinned maliciously, her dark eyes sparkling and the winkles around them creasing with mirth. "It means painful separation, sorrowful heartbreak, grief. For the Fool and his lover."

Kurt glanced back to Blaine, his eyes worried.

This was a bad idea, Blaine may not trust anything this fake psychic says, but Kurt really didn't need to be hearing this right now. He took Kurt's hand and squeezed it reassuringly. "We'll wait in the kitchen."

Kurt's face had gone a little pale and Blaine had him sit down at the little kitchen table. It was brighter in here and didn't smell oppressively of incense, he hoped it helped Kurt calm a little. "Don't listen to her," Blaine said, taking a tea kettle from the stove and filling it up with water. "She isn't the soothsayer, she was just messing with you."

"But she was right about us being together and about me being the fool."

"You aren't a fool," Blaine said, lighting the stove and placing the kettle on to heat up.

"I _am_ ignorant of all of this though, magic. Fake soothsayers, real soothsayers…"

"I'll teach you," Blaine said, looking through the cabinets for tea. "When we have a chance and things settle down, I can teach you more about it than you'll ever want to know. I could even teach you a little magic."

Kurt looked up from the table top where he'd been staring. "But I don't have magic."

"Everyone has a little magic, most people just don't know it. Ah ha!" Blaine cried triumphantly when he found some Lady Grey.

"Are you making tea in someone else's kitchen?" Kurt asked, finally distracted from that terrible tarot card reading.

"Sessions with the soothsayer are very pricey, the least she can do is let us drink some good tea."

The water started boiling and Blaine poured in some tea and let it seep for a little while, grabbing two tea cups, and then pouring tea for himself and Kurt. Kurt took a sip and hummed, "This is good."

"We may drink coffee back home, but here we drink tea. Like the locals."

"So that woman we spoke to, her grandmother is the soothsayer?"

"Yes."

"She must be very old."

"She is."

"It isn't polite to gossip about a woman's age."

Kurt jumped in his chair a little and Blaine casually looked up from his cup of tea as the soothsayer walked in the room. She shrugged of a jacket, hanging it on a row of pegs attached to the wall and then looked them both over. "I see you've made yourself at home."

"You could have been here to stop us."

"I don't schedule my life to be at your beck and call."

"But you knew we were coming."

She ignored him, narrowing her eyes and turned to Kurt, her heavy dark hair swinging behind her. "You've brought a mortal with you? Interesting."

"You're the soothsayer?" Kurt asked in surprise. "That woman in the other room is your granddaughter?"

"Did you not hear what I said about talking about a woman's age?" She swept past Kurt like royalty and grabbed her own cup from the cabinet before sitting down and pouring herself some tea. "You know I don't want you here and yet you insist on coming. You better have something very good for me this time." She glanced at Kurt again, and so Blaine gave him a small encouraging smile. "Unless the mortal _is_ your gift." She scanned Kurt up and down. "I've had worse."

Kurt's back straightened, and before Blaine had a chance to respond, Kurt spoke up, "I'm not here to be a bartering chip and don't talk about me as if I'm not sitting at the same table as you."

Blaine smiled and the soothsayer barked out a laugh. "Oh you deserve the fate coming for you."

"What does that-"

"She speaks as many lies as truths," Blaine said to Kurt; she was just trying to rile him up. Blaine leaned towards her, "Leave him alone." He didn't have to raise his voice, he just looked the soothsayer steadily in the eyes until she blinked first.

"Fine. What have you brought me? Something of your mother's again?" She lifted the tea cup to her lips and his mother's pearls shimmered from her wrist. It hurt to see them there.

Blaine withdrew a little velvet pouch from his pocket and slid it across the table. The soothsayer picked it up and poured the contents into her hand. It was the broken fragments of the fake charm Cooper had made.

"What is this to me? It is broken, and not even old."

"Look again." It may not be the real thing-he'd never let her get her hands on that-but it was a good replica, and even broken, it still vibrated with the remaining magic Cooper had poured into it to fool him.

The soothsayer looked up sharply. "Your magic?"

Blaine didn't answer.

"No, but someone near to you. A family member..." She smiled. "Your _brother_. I could do many things with this..." Her eyes flashed and looked a little pale for a moment, before she looked back up. "What do you want for it?"

"Last time I was here you said you knew where Cooper was."

"I lied," She said with a wave of her hand. "But yes, I can use this to tell you where to find your brother." She stood from the table, her chair legs scraping the floor beneath her. "Follow me."

Blaine got up from the table and turned to Kurt.

"You doing okay?"

Kurt rolled his eyes a little. "I can handle a cup of tea and a _diva_."

Blaine grinned at him-he smiled almost all the time when Kurt was around, it was getting ridiculous-and then they followed the soothsayer through a door at the side of the kitchen and up a creaky narrow staircase.

She led them to a sitting room; it brought Blaine back to a previous time, the whole place looked to have been decorated in the 1920s. The soothsayer unceremoniously pushed everything off a wooden table in the middle of the room, books, papers, a few jars – unlike the kitchen downstairs this room was cluttered and messy.

She opened a trunk in the corner, pulled out a few old maps, and spread one over the table.

"You know, you have more magic than I do. With this broken charm, you could find him yourself.

"Not if he is shielding himself from me, which he probably is, and we only get to one try."

"And _he_ has to be here for this," she said, glancing at Kurt.

" _He's with me_ ," Blaine said, and his voice almost echoed off the walls, filling the room with its vibration, and okay that was a little more force than he meant to put into it. Kurt looked at him in surprise and the soothsayer clenched her jaw.

"Fine." She closed her eyes and took a long breath in through her nose as she tilted her head back. The lights flickered. Blaine scowled. More parlor tricks meant to intimidate. He took a step closer to Kurt, who, so far, seemed to be mostly unafraid, or at least, hiding it well. She started murmuring under her breath and then lifted her fist to cast the broken pieces of the charm over the map.

They seemed to fall through the air in slow motion, spinning and twirling, until they hit the map with the sound of bells. Blaine took a breath and looked at the area on the map the pieces encompassed.

"Wales?" the soothsayer said, pointing to a seaside city that Blaine knew well.

Blaine's stomach tightened. "You've _got_ to be kidding me."

"I can get a map of Wales and we can cast again to see the exact position."

"I don't know that there is any need for that," Blaine said under his breath.

Kurt squeezed his hand, "What wrong?"

The soothsayer spread-out a new map and lifted her first with the broken pieces in it again.

"I think I know where Coop-"

Before Blaine could finish his sentence, the soothsayer opened her fist, and there was a flash of piercingly bright light that filled the room along with a loud clap of noise. Blaine was immediately knocked off his feet. He reached out trying to grab for Kurt's hand, but he grasped nothing but air. He hit the ground and tried to stand but something was wrong with his legs. All he could see was blinding light, his eyes impaired by the blast. He scrambled around on his hands and knees not able to see anything - then his heart froze when he heard Kurt scream.

* * *

Kurt wasn't sure what had happened. One moment, he was standing next to Blaine about to find out where Blaine's brother was, and the next moment, there was a bright flash of light and Blaine wasn't beside him anymore. The light faded quickly, and once Kurt's eyes had readjusted, he looked down to see Blaine fumbling on the floor, his face ashen and confused.

"Bl-" Kurt started towards him but was immediately pulled back by something so strong it knocked the breath out of his lungs. It slammed him back-first against a wall and he couldn't move, frozen in place and helpless to get to Blaine. The soothsayer was walking towards him, her arm outstretched as if holding him against the wall without touching him, Kurt was scared, but it wasn't until he saw her face that he screamed.

Her eyes had gone white, completely white like the life had been sucked out of them and her skin was gray, cracked and brittle like dry dirt. It looked like her face would crumble to dust if you touched it.

Kurt struggled to move, but he was fully plastered to the wall, his arms and legs as if frozen, he couldn't even move his head. His heart was beating so fast that he could hear it in his ears. He was doing everything he could not to panic, but it was hard with the monster the soothsayer had become drawing closer. He tried to look back over towards the table to see if Blaine was still on the ground, if he was alright, but he couldn't see from this angle, not with the soothsayer in front of him.

She walked right up to him and smiled, or at least Kurt thought it was a smile, it was hard to tell; her lips were charcoal-colored and fractured, and when she moved them, Kurt could hear them cracking.

"What- what did you do to Blaine?" He asked as she stopped in front of him.

"Just a spell to incapacitate him," she answered, her voice a raspy hiss. "So I can call the Dontizu."

 _No no no._ Kurt pushed down his panic, that couldn't happen, if the Dontizu got to Blaine while he couldn't even defend himself…

"What? Are you too afraid to face him yourself?" Kurt asked, trying anything to stall until he could think of a plan – but what kind of plan could he come up with when he was stuck to this wall?

"I'm not _stupid_ ," she barked. "I couldn't take him myself." She lifted her hand and moved even closer as she curled her long dry fingers around Kurt's neck.

"Why didn't the spell work on me?" Kurt squeaked out, still trying to do anything to delay what was coming next. She was going to kill him, he knew that, and then she was going to send for creatures that would destroy Blaine.

"Why waste a spell on you? You're mortal." She smiled again with that dry crackling smile and then took one more step towards him. Kurt was wracking his brain for something else to say, something else to do. But he was out of options, and it didn't really matter anyway, because the soothsayer ran a dry thumb down his neck and then squeezed.

Kurt tried to take in a breath but she was pressing against his windpipe too hard. He sputtered and opened and closed his mouth uselessly not getting in any air. She just stared at him with her dead eyes and splintered smile, it wasn't long before his eyesight started getting a little blurry and his lungs burned.

"I love killing mortals," the soothsayer hissed, her voice slithering into Kurt's mind and making him fuzzyheaded. Or maybe that was the lack of oxygen.

Kurt was sure that he was going to blackout any second when the room started to tremble - no not tremble… _shake_ , violently. The light hanging from the ceiling started to swing, casting weird shadows around the room, and a big book shelf in the corner toppled over. The smile on the soothsayer's face vanished. She turned her head, and behind her, stood Blaine, his eyes a little bloodshot, but thankfully looking unharmed.

The soothsayer whimpered a little as Blaine took a step forward. He seemed taller somehow, bigger, like he was actually physically taking up more space than he normally did. His hands were clenched and his face was dark, eyebrows drawn, lips pursed and eyes flashing. He looked terrifying.

"Let him go!" Blaine's voice was like thunder ripping through the room and making it shake even more, pictures fell from the wall, breaking glass, the windows cracked, and the soothsayer immediately let go of Kurt's neck. Kurt took in a long deep breath and his mind started to clear.

"How- how…" The soothsayer stuttered, her face was still gray and broken, she didn't look human, but she did look horrified. She looked like she might pass out.

Kurt tried to move, but he was still stuck to the wall.

"I said let him _go_!" Blaine shouted, and with each word, the soothsayer stumbled back as if the words themselves had physically pushed her.

Kurt almost lost his footing, his release from the wall was so immediate.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry!" The soothsayer shouted, raising her hands in surrender as Blaine stormed towards her.

"You tried to use magic on _me_? And you – you tried to hurt _him_?" Blaine's eyes were blazing, and even Kurt took a step away. Not that he was afraid of Blaine, it was just the natural reaction to seeing him this way. Blaine was trembling head to toe and it was as if his rage itself was shaking the room.

"I'm sorry," the soothsayer whimpered, covering her face with her hands. She didn't have time to say anything else as Blaine grabbed her by her neck and pushed her against the wall. He was holding her in place with one arm as she opened her mouth and tried to suck in air.

" _Pl-ease_ ," she croaked out, and her face returned to normal, young and beautiful, but terrified.

Blaine didn't let up. "How dare you!" Blaine's fingers tightened their grip.

Kurt swallowed deeply, the room was still quaking, and the light swaying made him fill a little dizzy, and Blaine was about to kill someone. He walked towards Blaine and he placed a hand gently on his arm. "Blaine, don't."

Blaine broke his gaze from the soothsayer and turned to Kurt. He took a few deep breaths before he was able to speak. "She was going to kill you." The light bulbs in the ceiling light burst with a loud crack that made the soothsayer's face go a shade paler.

"I know," Kurt said, lifting a hand to his still sore neck. "But you aren't her. Don't do this."

Kurt watched Blaine's eyebrows furrow deeper and his jaw flex as the soothsayer gasped for air. Then, he let go and she slumped to the ground as the room suddenly stopped quaking, and Blaine, who had never actually changed size, seemed his regular height again.

"Thank you," Kurt whispered and Blaine turned away from him to kneel to the ground.

"You should know it is _his_ mercy that saved you and not mine. Remember that if you ever even _think_ of coming after either of us again Taika."

The soothsayer's hands were at her neck and she was still gasping to fill her lungs with air. "No one is meant to know my name. It weakens my powers. How did you-"

"No one is meant to try to hurt me or the man I love _Taika_. Remember." Blaine stood again and walked over to the now knocked over table and gathered the fragments of the broken charm. "Also, you don't get to keep this now."

He pocketed the pieces and then turned to Kurt and held out his hard. Kurt let out a deep breath at the fact that they seemed to be leaving, and then noticed that Blaine's eyes looked worried, and though he'd calmed down, the hand he held out to Kurt was trembling. Blaine was looking at Kurt like _he_ was the thing in this room to be scared of.

Kurt walked forward and took Blaine's hand, and Blaine's eyes immediately closed in relief. "Let's get out of here," he whispered.

Blaine was silent the whole way back to the hotel and Kurt just kept hold of his hand. Once the door was closed and locked behind them, Kurt sat down on the bed, and he couldn't help the tremors that ran through his body. He'd almost just been killed.

Blaine came and sat down next to him. "May I see?"

Kurt turned to look at him. "See what?" He asked and realized it hurt to talk.

"Your neck?" Blaine's voice was calm and quiet, but he wasn't meeting Kurt's eyes.

"Of course."

Blaine lifted his hands and undid the buttons at Kurt's neck. He silently appraised Kurt for a moment, making Kurt wonder how bad it was. It really had started to hurt. "I can help with the bruising."

"There's bruising?"

Blaine finally looked up at his face and his golden eyes were so miserable that it hurt Kurt's chest.

"Yes, there's bruising," Blaine whispered and then touched Kurt's neck so gently it made chills run down his back. There was a kind of tingling fuzzy feeling like when Blaine had done this for his leg on the plane, but greater this time and it took longer. Then, Blaine withdrew his hand and Kurt swallowed, the ache in his throat gone.

"Thank you," Kurt said with a smile as Blaine looked down at his hands in his lap.

"You stopped me with Aaron too," Blaine said, glancing up at Kurt's healed neck but not meeting his eyes.

Kurt tilted his head, not understanding what Blaine was talking about. "With Aaron?"

"You told me not to hurt him, which I didn't really want to do anyway. But today… I would have killed her if you hadn't stopped me. I was just… so angry, and scared. She was… she was killing you. I lost my sight and my body wouldn't work correctly for a moment, and when I came to, that monster had you pinned to the wall and… and…" Blaine's voice gave out. "That's twice now, _god_ I can't even imagine what you think of me after that.

Kurt lifted his hand and smoothed it down Blaine's cheek. "Hey, look at me?" Blaine sighed and then slowly glanced up. "What do I think of you? I think that you saved my life."

"I would have killed her. Aren't you afraid of me?"

Kurt bit his lip, putting his thoughts together. "Maybe you would have killed her, but I'm not afraid of you. I think that sometimes you just need someone to remind you who you really are. And I didn't stop you either time for Aaron's or for that soothsayer's sake. I did it for _you_ , because I wouldn't want you to do something you would regret later. I don't care about _them_. I wasn't saving _them_ , I was saving you."

Blaine's eyes were a little teary when he closed them and leaned his forehead against Kurt's, "I love you."

Kurt slipped his hand down to rest on Blaine's chest over his heart. "I love you too." Kurt closed the inch between them with a kiss, soft and tender, wanting Blaine to feel how much he loved him. He wasn't afraid of Blaine even after everything that had happened at the soothsayers. He just loved him.

Blaine moaned into the kiss and then pressed Kurt down onto the bed as his lips started to explore. Tomorrow, they would probably go find Cooper, and then things were going to get even more frightening. But all of that was far from Kurt's mind with the man he loved in his arms.


	15. Chapter 14

AN: Shout out the my beta theatrevicki who gave me some great suggestions for this chapter that really helped bring it together. And thank you to all of you who have stuck with the story even as my updates were less consistent than I wanted. We have a couple of more chapters to go! Leave me a comment if you feel like it, I LOVE to hear from you.

* * *

Blaine lay on his side and studied Kurt as he slept, pale skin in the dim light of the hotel room, lips gently parted and expression peaceful. He smiled at the beautiful sleeping man next to him, in all his life he'd never actually hoped for what he had with Kurt. He'd found his soulmate, he just hoped he had plenty more time with him.

Blaine couldn't sleep but he was glad Kurt could, there really was no telling all that tomorrow would bring. He was trying to take things one moment at a time, but it was difficult. After coming back from the soothsayer – that vile traitorous snake, Blaine shivered a little at the memory of her holding Kurt up against that wall – Kurt had been shaken and injured but so loving and he didn't blame Blaine. He'd seen Blaine, magic snapping and anger roaring and still hadn't been afraid.

Blaine reached out and ran his fingers over Kurt's bare shoulder and down his arm, he closed his eyes and smiled; after Blaine had healed Kurt's neck earlier, Kurt had kissed him as if he couldn't get enough. Blaine replayed it in his mind, the way they'd slowly undressed each other, Blaine taking care, hoping to show Kurt how precious he was to him. Blaine relished in the memory of Kurt's warm skin and gentle moans and sighs as they moved together.

Kurt had kissed his knuckles and ran a hand down his back until he was gripping Blaine's ass with a little smirk on his lips. Blaine felt helpless with Kurt when they were like that, all sweaty skin and hot kisses, helpless in the best possible way. Blaine had never had sex that was full of so much love before, and when he held tightly onto Kurt's firm arms and kissed him, he could hardly catch his breath.

Kurt had stretched out on to his back with Blaine over him, gripping Blaine's hips and directing him. "Slow down, slow… yes, oh god Blaine." He had squeezed his eyes shut for a moment and then quickly opened them again with a cry on his lips. "I want to watch you." Kurt had whispered. "You're so perfect."

Blaine had to wipe a tear from his eyes now just thinking about it. How someone like Kurt could honestly love Blaine so much was unfathomable. All the magic he'd seen in his lifetime hadn't prepared him for this. He loved Kurt. He had to keep him safe.

Blaine rolled over on to his back, staring up at the ceiling for a moment before getting out of bed and pulling on the pajamas Kurt had packed for him. He grabbed his phone and walked out to the hallway so his phone call wouldn't disturb Kurt's sleep.

It was 2:00am, so it would be 9:00pm back in New York; Felix would be home enjoying a good port at this time.

"You're still alive then?" Felix answered the phone and Blaine smiled. He'd called Felix when they first got to London and Felix hadn't been pleased that they had left the country without even telling him. "Going off to get yourself killed – or worse!" he'd said when he found out. It was one of the reasons Blaine _hadn't_ told Felix before they left actually, he knew what he had to do and he couldn't have his friend talking him out of it.

"I'm still alive." Blaine answered.

"And Kurt of bold counsel is still alive?"

Blaine took in a painful breath, thinking of how close things had come at the soothsayer's; above all else, he would make sure that Kurt lived through this. "He is."

"Good." Felix said, and his angry tone shifted to something softer. "Have you found your brother yet?"

"I know where he is. We go to meet him tomorrow."

"Mmmm." Felix hummed. "If you called me to say your goodbyes I'm hanging up on you young man."

"I'm older than you."

"My finger is on the disconnect button!"

"I'm not calling to say goodbye… exactly… I need you to do something for me."

There was a pause in which Blaine couldn't even guess at what Felix was thinking.

"Anything." Felix finally said, and Blaine smiled and rubbed his tired eyes as he leaned back against the wall of the hotel hallway.

"If anything happens to me-"

"Blaine!"

" _If_ I'm killed or – or turned into one of those monsters, you have to promise to keep Kurt safe." He thought back to Kurt's bright eyes and sweet smile as they laid in each other's arms after their love making. "If I'm dead or if they turn me, then the Dontizu shouldn't be after Kurt anymore-god I hope not, they would have no reason to be - but still… just in case."

"I don't like this conversation Blaine."

"But you'll do it? You'll look after him?"

"Of course I will. You don't even have to ask."

Blaine chuckled but it was tight and painful in his chest. "There is one other thing and you aren't going to like it either." Blaine licked his lips nervously.

Felix groaned on the other end of the phone. "I'm going to stop picking up when you call."

Blaine ignored that obviously untrue comment and pushed on with what he had to say. "If I become a Dontizu, I need you to have me killed."

"What the hell-"

"Don't let me live that way Felix." Blaine continued right over him. "I don't want to hurt people and hunt and feed off of others' misery. I don't want to always be starving for other people's life force. I can't…" He cleared his throat. "I'm not saying you'd have to do it yourself – I left instructions in my safe at home, directions to get to some of my more priceless possessions, they could serve as a bounty on me. You can hire it out – but Felix, if I become a Dontizu, you _have_ to make sure I die. Please. You're my friend and the only person I have to ask."

"I really hate you for this son of Ander." Felix said, his voice angry.

"I know, but you'll do it?"

Felix was silent for a moment before he barked out his answer. "Yes, I'll do it."

"Thank you." Blaine sighed in relief.

"How are you going to keep the boy safe?"

Blaine worried his lip, it was a good question. "I said he could stay with me until after the ritual, but then I'm sending him home."

"He won't go."

Blaine leaned his head back against the wall and rubbed his forehead, he had a pounding headache. "I know that, he won't go on his own, but I can be _persuasive_ …"

"If you use your magic to trick him into coming back home, he will never forgive you!"

Blaine shrugged, "But he'll be alive."

"You're an idiot. I'm not even sure why we are friends," Felix said, but he didn't actually sound convincing.

"Thank you for being my friend _Felix_ \- the lucky one - you are the best friend I could have-"

"Nope! No. That is sounding like the words of a dying man. Stop it."

"Right. In that case, I'll see you when this is all over."

"See you," Felix said. "And I'll remember all that I've promised."

"Thank you."

Blaine hung up, feeling nominally better, and went back to the hotel room, his eyes taking a moment to adjust to the dim light. He crawled into bed and Kurt yawned and turned towards him. "Wha'ya doin?" He asked sleepily.

"Just catching Felix up on what is going on," Blaine answered.

"Mmm." Kurt wrapped his arms around him and then shivered. "God you're cold."

"Sorry."

"Doesn't matter, like being close..." Kurt yawned again and happily buried his face into Blaine's neck before falling back asleep.

Blaine squeezed his eyes closed and shut out thoughts of the Dontizu, instead focusing on thoughts of Cooper who'd he see tomorrow if things went as planned. He thought of when they used to be friends and brothers and family. He wondered if those memories hurt Cooper the way they hurt him, or if Cooper ever thought of those times at all anymore…

* * *

They took a train to Wales, but Kurt wasn't able to enjoy the sights or landscape or anything; he was too nervous. He just sat with Blaine's hand in his own, counting seats, and passengers and seconds as they passed by. His stomach was in knots and his throat was dry. He didn't want to go to Wales. He didn't want to face Blaine's brother or the Dontizu – he hated this – he just wanted Blaine _safe_.

Kurt was miserable, but trying not to show it. He tried to make conversation a few times, "If the soothsayer was on the side of the Dontizu, do you think there are others who might be as well?"

"Yes, I'm sure there are."

"Okay – and you aren't worried about that?"

"I'm worried about everything," Blaine sighed.

Kurt tried to change the subject to something lighter: his summer plans and how he was going to audition for everything he could, but Blaine seemed to be lost in his thoughts. Kurt couldn't blame him, so he just kept hold of Blaine's hand and attempted to focus on positive things. Like the feel of Blaine's smooth skin against his own, the sound of _I love you_ on Blaine's lips, the way his eyelashes fanned on his face when he was asleep. It would be okay, they couldn't have come this far just too lose each other now, right?

Once off the train, Blaine rented a car and they drove to a small seaside city that Kurt wasn't even completely sure how to pronounce. The Welsh used too many consonants. Blaine seemed to relax a little bit, this was home to him. He hadn't needed the soothsayer to tell him where in Wales to find Cooper.

"He'll be home." Blaine had announced matter-of-factly at the hotel that morning. "He must know I'm coming and he chose the place we ran from as the place to meet me again."

Kurt didn't really like the fact that Cooper would be expecting him; Blaine seemed to think there would be a confrontation between the two of them and the element of surprise would have been nice. Though he couldn't really shake a level of excitement at seeing where Blaine came from. Of course, the small town had to be completely different now, and Blaine didn't really start showing signs that maybe this was affecting him until they drove away from town down the coastline a little.

"I remember going to that beach with my parents and Cooper." Blaine said, nodding out the window, a strangely blank look on his face. "That was life times ago."

Kurt watched him for a moment: the way he kept minutely tugging on his lip with his teeth and blinking too fast. This wasn't a blank expression at all, this was Blaine trying not to cry. He wasn't just going home, Blaine was going back to the place his parents had been killed by the same creatures Blaine was planning to fight.

Kurt placed a hand on his knee as Blaine continued to drive. There wasn't anything to say really, but he'd remind Blaine that he wasn't alone in this, not any more. They were silent as Blaine drove them away from the shoreline and up into the bluffs where the road went through a thick forest; then, as they rounded a corner out of the trees, Kurt's mouth fell open.

"Is _that_ where you grew up?" Kurt asked in surprise.

Blaine slowed the car and put it in park. "I'm not sure living there until I was five and then not coming back for over a hundred years counts as growing up there – but yes, that's my family's home."

"It's a castle," Kurt said, taking in the imposing stone structure; it looked ancient, and parts of the roof were crumbling, but it seemed mostly intact. Huge, and desolate and lonely, but Kurt could imagine what it must have once been. It was built near the edge of the bluff so the view of the ocean had to be spectacular, it had ivy running up the brick walls, and once, it would have been filled with the happy voices of a loving family… a long time ago.

"It isn't a castle. I could show you some seaside castles. It's just a mansion." Blaine said, getting out of the car.

Kurt joined him. "Just a mansion." Kurt smiled, but Blaine was staring intently at the old house as if it would tell him something he needed to hear. "Well, it's beautiful," Kurt said, hunching against the wind and taking Blaine's hand.

"It's old and abandoned and gloomy."

"You're a little gloomy right now," Kurt said, standing next to him and bumping shoulders.

Blaine looked at him. "And old and abandoned."

"Not abandoned, Blaine," Kurt said and Blaine smiled a little. "What is it called? This not-a-castle-but-a-mansion?"

"Bryn o Wyrdd," Blaine answered in a thick accent that made Kurt smile. "It means hill of green. This bluff looks dead now, but in the summer… it's beautiful."

Kurt scooted closer to Blaine as wind, coming off the ocean harsh and salty, whipped around them. The sun was going down and he knew Blaine was always cold. "Do we go inside?"

Blaine nodded and they started walking up a rocky slope to the mansion. Kurt could see where the path must have been once, but years of no one caring for this place had made it little more than jagged stones with little spurts of spring green growing between them.

They walked to the big wooden doors and Blaine pushed, but they didn't budge. Kurt and Blaine had to both put their shoulders to the doors to finally get them to slowly groan open. Once in the entryway, they flipped on flashlights Blaine had thought to bring along. The entryway was made of stone and there was an old chandelier hanging on the high ceiling; Kurt couldn't believe it'd lasted so long or had never been stolen. In fact, as they walked through the huge house, Kurt found that not only was it mostly intact, much of the original furniture was still there, art hung on the walls, old tattered rugs lined the floor. Like only time had touched anything since Blaine's family had lived here.

Kurt glanced at Blaine who was moving forward with a grim expression. "Are you doing okay? I know it must be hard to see it this way."

"I'm fine," Blaine said shortly, but he didn't seem fine. He opened the door to what must have once been a large open sitting room, giant windows facing out towards the sea.

"Wow – this is incredible."

Blaine didn't answer. He'd walked to the middle of the room and was standing there, staring over the mantel piece, where a picture was hanging unseen, covered by an old musty cloth.

Kurt looked at him and swallowed and then walked to the mantel piece grabbing a corner of the cloth and pulling it down. Kurt was immediately covered in dust, he coughed into his elbow and grimaced at the moldy smell the cloth had stirred up in the room. Then he looked up; over the mantel was a painting, a large portrait of a family in turn-of-the century finery. A woman, jet black curly hair and kind blue eyes, a tall man with a firm jaw and eyes that reminded Kurt of Blaine, a young boy, also tall and with dark hair and eyes to match his mothers and then… Kurt gasped. A small boy, with round chubby cheeks, a mess of curly hair and lovely golden eyes.

Kurt turned around to face Blaine who was staring at the portrait. "It's your family."

"Yes. I couldn't be more than four here. And my mother…" Blaine sighed. "She is gorgeous. Was. She was."

Kurt nodded, his throat feeling tight. "Your dad and Cooper look a lot alike."

Blaine clenched his jaw.

"Your father's wearing the charm we need isn't he?" Kurt said as he noticed a round stone pendant hanging from the neck of the man in the portrait.

"He never took it off - until the day he died that is," Blaine said as he turned away from the portrait.

Kurt was about to say something about how happy they all looked when there was a creak above them; that could have just been the wind outside, but it was followed by a load crash from upstairs.

"We aren't here alone."

Kurt nodded.

"I'll go look."

"I'm right behind you," Kurt said quickly, and Blaine didn't argue with him as they left the drawing room and headed towards the main entryway again where there was a large wide staircase that led to the second floor. Kurt was a little dubious about its stability-the stone steps looked like they might crumble beneath their feet-but when Blaine confidently started upwards, Kurt had no choice but to follow him.

Kurt wasn't sure where the noise had come from, but Blaine seemed to know where he was going. They went down a long dark hallway, their flashlights lighting the way until Blaine stopped outside the door of a room. He narrowed his eyes and turned towards Kurt. "If this goes… poorly, I need you to stay back. Stay away from him."

Kurt swallowed and nodded. Blaine slowly opened the door and walked into the room, which took on a whole other level of darkness. Even with their flashlights, Kurt could hardly make out anything; it wasn't natural. Kurt didn't know much about magic, but he could tell it was at work in the darkness of the room. He could sense it was a large room because it was drafty and there were windows-he could see slithers of light around them-but by what he could make out of them, they seemed to be covered in thick dark drapes. The room smelled of years of mildew, it was stale and dusty. Kurt didn't like this room.

There was movement in the corner to Kurt's left that made him gasp and Blaine stuck out an arm towards Kurt to keep him from moving forwards. He shined his flashlight in that direction, but the darkness was oppressive and still Kurt couldn't make anything out.

"Who's here?" Blaine called, his voice steady and calm. "Show yourself."

There was the sound of more movement and something ran across a window to the other side of the room. The hairs on the back of Kurt's neck stood on end. What was in here? It moved too quickly to be a human.

" _Blaine_." Kurt said in warning, but Blaine just glanced at him briefly before swinging his flashlight around the room.

The was more scurrying and the drapes fluttered as whatever was here with them moved around with impressive speed staying out of the beam of light.

"I said show yourself!" Blaine called and his voice took on that kind of vibrating quality it had had at the soothsayer's. Not enough to shake the room, but enough to make echoes bounce off the walls. Maybe Blaine was more nervous than his calm demeanor was letting on.

Kurt heard a low rumbling come from the other side of the room and Blaine took a step closer to him. "Stay close," Blaine whispered, and honestly Kurt didn't need the caution. His spine was prickling and his heart pounding a little too fast. Something moved to the right of them and then positioned itself in front of a window so that you could almost see its silhouette. It was big… much too big for Kurt's liking.

Kurt clenched his mouth closed so he wouldn't shout and reached for Blaine's hand; as the massive shape seemed to take a step forward, Blaine swung his flashlight towards it and finally, the light seemed to pierce the darkness of the room. Kurt wanted to scream at the sight in front of him, but his voice seemed to have gotten lost somewhere between his lungs and his lips.

The creature before him was something out of his worst nightmares, he'd seen it before, he realized, but not like this, not in the flesh. Not real and huge and standing on its hind legs towering over them. Its dark fur was matted, almost spiked behind the creature's head and down its neck, making it look even taller, it had long front limbs with black sharp claws on its boney paws, but the worst part was its face. Snout fixed in a snarl as it bared its fangs that dripped saliva down to the floor. Its eyes were red and glowing, and as it took a step forward, it tilted its head back and let out a growl that shook the room and made Kurt's skin crawl.

He didn't know when it had happened, but Blaine was standing in front of him brandishing his flashlight as if he was a knight standing in front of a dragon with a gleaming sword. Except this wasn't a fairytale, it was a nightmare, and Blaine had put himself between Kurt and a frothing monster that was glaring at them like it wanted to rip them to shreds.

"Stay back!" Blaine shouted, and this time, his voice did shake the room a little. The creature took a step forward. Kurt wanted to turn and run, but Blaine was standing his ground. Besides, before Kurt even made it to the door, that thing could probably leap forward and have its long claws embedded in his back. This was just _one_ of the monsters Blaine had to take on? How were they going to survive this? Besides, Blaine's heartstone was still a stone, he hadn't done the ritual, he didn't have his full magical powers.

They were going to die here.

The creature snarled but didn't take another step forward. Kurt stayed close to Blaine. "Do you know who I am?" Blaine asked, his voice still ricocheting over the room. "Do you know I've come to destroy you?"

Kurt could only just hold back a whimper as the creature bared its dripping fangs. Kurt wasn't sure what Blaine's plan was, but there wasn't really a chance to find out as the creature crouched down on its back legs and then sprang forward, leaping with even more force that Kurt was expecting.

"Blaine!" Kurt cried and pulled them both down to the floor as the monster jumped over them.

There was a howl and a pained whine, and Kurt turned to see that the creature had leapt over them and onto another Dontizu that had been behind them without them even knowing. _Shit_ , how many of them where there?

To Kurt's confusion, though, the two massive creatures seemed to be fighting each other right in front of the doorway. "Oh my god," Kurt whimpered. They were tearing into each other.

Blaine quickly got up and then pulled Kurt to his feet. "As soon as the door is clear, I need you to get out of here."

"What?" Kurt pulled his eyes away from the fighting, snarling creatures to look at Blaine. "No. _We_ can get out of here, but I'm not going without you."

"Kurt this isn't the time!" Blaine shouted, his eyes wide and panicked as the noise the fighting Dontizu were making escalated. Kurt felt sick to his stomach. The creatures were biting and clawing at each other and it was horrifying. One of the monsters clamped its jaws down firmly on the neck of the other, and with a whine and whimper, the creature kicked out a leg and then lay still on the ground.

Blaine put himself between Kurt and the remaining creature again, slowly backing them up to a corner; the doorway was still blocked and there was no way out of the room.

The Dontizu, satisfied that it had taken care of its foe, turned back to Kurt and Blaine; it didn't seem to be in a hurry, the threat was gone, only playthings were left.

Blaine lifted his free hand, still pointing the flashlight at the creature with the other and let out a shout that again shook the room as a blue light actually burst from Blaine's palm, pushing forward like a wave until it hit the creature in the chest, making it howl and fall over; there was the smell of burning flesh and fur in the air.

" _Run_!" Blaine yelled, grabbing Kurt's hand and sprinting forward. If Blaine was going with him, then he didn't need to be told twice. They ran around the whining burnt Dontizu on the ground and had to pass the creature in the doorway as well, but it appeared to be dead. Just as they were about to pass it, though, it sprung up like it had been waiting, growling ferociously and swiping towards them with its bloody claws.

"Oh fuck!" Kurt yelled but Blaine just tugged him forward.

"Keep moving!"

They ran down the stairs, Kurt's heart in his throat, and Blaine's hand in his. The entryway was even darker now as the sun seemed to have gone down, and Kurt wasn't sure where he'd lost his flashlight, but it wasn't in his hand anymore. Blaine was panting as they ran out of the house and back onto the dark moonlit bluff. Blaine seemed to be going for the car, but when they got close enough, they saw it was flipped over on its side with long claw marks all over it; it smelled of gasoline and clearly wasn't going to be driven again.

"Oh god, oh god." Kurt gasped. "What do we do?" He looked to Blaine whose face was pale as he stared at the destroyed vehicle. "Blaine?"

Blaine didn't answer, though; instead, he fell to his knees with a soft whimper, letting go of Kurt's hand. "Blaine!" Kurt knelt down beside him as Blaine slipped down to his side and then groaned and rolled over to his back. That's when Kurt saw it, deep red slashes over his chest, his coat and shirt shredded and his chest bleeding. The Dontizu must had clawed him as they passed.

"No, no no no," Kurt said in a panic, his hands hovering over the wounds, not knowing what to do. Blaine blinked up at him, his expression pained.

"Run," Blaine said.

"You can't run!" Kurt answered. "Can you even stand?" Kurt unwound the long thick scarf around his neck and used it to press down on Blaine's chest, trying to slow the bleeding. There was a lot of bleeding. "Oh god, Blaine, you're hurt really badly." Kurt's voice was shaking and his mind was going a mile a minute trying to think of a plan, could he carry Blaine to safety? Maybe, if he knew where safety was.

"I'm immortal," Blaine said.

"Well that hasn't stopped you from getting hurt!"

Blaine shook his head and grabbed one of Kurt's hands. "This… won't kill me." His face was twisted with pain as he spoke, though.

There was a howl behind them and Kurt glanced back to the house. That Dontizu was still there, both of them in fact, injured but not far away.

"Tell me what to do," Kurt said desperately, tears stinging his eyes. Blaine reached into his pocket and then lifted out his heartstone. "Take it."

"What?" Kurt's heart started beating even faster.

"Take it and run."

"I am not leaving you!"

"And what good does that do?" Blaine said, trying to sit up but wincing and falling back down again. "I'm hurt. I can't run. But the Dontizu can't kill me unless they get my heartstone. If you stay here, _we both die_. If you take my stone and run like hell… then…. Then we have a chance." Blaine's voice was growing weak and Kurt felt like he was going to be sick.

"Are you _really_ saying that leaving you is the only way to save you?"

"Yes," Blaine said quietly, looking up at him with wet eyes, his face frighteningly pale.

"I don't want to," Kurt said, tears now running down his cheeks and his chest tight and painful. "I don't want to leave you."

There was another howl, louder now, maybe closer.

"Kurt," Blaine answered, pressing the stone to his palm. "Take the heartstone, I'll be with you, but you have to go. _Now_."

Kurt let out a silent sob and then leaned down to press a wet kiss to Blaine's lips. "You better be right about this, Blaine Anderson," he said, gripping the stone.

"Go Kurt, please."

"I love you," Kurt said as he shakily stood to his feet.

Blaine smiled weakly. "I love you too. Now run my love."

There was a howl, and when Kurt looked through the darkness back to the house, he thought he saw a dark figure emerging from it.

"Run!" Blaine shouted with all the strength he had and Kurt _ran_. Sobbing and stumbling and cursing himself for leaving Blaine, Kurt ran through the darkness, across the bluff to the forest that he hoped would provide some place to hide. He stuck the heartstone in the inside breast pocket of his jacket, praying that having the stone really would keep Blaine from being killed. _Please Blaine, please.  
_  
Kurt was running as fast as his legs would move, his heart pumping painfully in his chest and his breath tight as he tried to swallow enough air to fill his lungs. Branches rushed past him in the dark, reaching out and tangling in his clothes and scraping at his skin like sharp bony hands trying to catch him and just barely missing. He stumbled once, but didn't look back as he pushed himself up from the damp forest ground. There wasn't time, there was a howl behind him, _he didn't have time._

He could hear his heart pounding in his ears, and the echoing beat of another heart, he didn't know if that second beat was just his imagination, but it kept him going. His sweat was cold on his skin as the night air snapped at him and he couldn't move fast enough. He ducked between two tall, dark and looming trees that looked frighteningly like the forms of two giant creatures reaching down towards him, and then he came to an abrupt halt.

He flung his arms out to his side, frantically trying to catch his balance as he looked down only to find himself teetering precariously on the edge of a rocky height with a sharp drop down into blackness. He could hear the waves of the ocean beating against rocks far, far below. Kurt swallowed and took a step away from the edge. There was nowhere to go.

He closed his eyes and steadied his breath reaching into the inside pocket of his coat, feeling the warm smooth surface of the stone he had tucked near his heart. He held back a whimper and slowly turned around as he heard a low snarling sound behind him. He didn't need to open his eyes to know what was there, to know the truth. He had failed. There was nowhere to run and no way to save himself or the man he loved. It was over.

Kurt opened his tearful blue eyes ready to face his fate.

He could just made out the dark form of a Dontizu on all fours slowly stealing closer to him, its red eyes glowing in the mist of the forest. Kurt took a step back and his heel wobbled on the edge of the bluff. He was trying to decide if it would be a better death to fall backwards and be shattered against the rocks below or to let this creature rip him to shreds?

If he fell, there was a chance the heartstone would get lost in the ocean, a very small chance that Blaine could still live.

The Dontizu took another slow step forward, like it knew what Kurt was thinking. Before he could decide to throw himself off a cliff in the slight hope that it would save Blaine, there was a growling noise to his left; both he and the Dontizu in front of him turned their heads to look.

The second creature, still smelling a little of burnt fur, crouched down and then leapt forward, pouncing on the Dontizu that had Kurt pinned in place. There was a lot of loud yapping and growling as claws and teeth ripped at each other, blood running down both creatures and enough raucous sounds to make Kurt want to scream.

Both Dontizu were injured, so the fight didn't take as long this time. With a loud sickening cracking sound, one Dontizu bit down on the other's neck and snapped it. There was a whine, and then the Dontizu on the bottom lay perfectly still. The other creature took its neck in its jaws and pulled it to the edge of the cliff and then flung it over.

Kurt stood frozen in place as he heard the creature's body hit the rocks below. One Dontizu down, but now the one that was left would do the same to Kurt, except with much less of a fight.

The remaining Dontizu locked eyes on Kurt. It was inches away and Kurt felt frozen in place. This was the time to leap off the cliff, but he couldn't make himself move. He was useless, too afraid to even save Blaine.

The creature was panting and bleeding and its red eyes looked Kurt over and then… then it lay down, head on its paws like a pet dog and it whined. Kurt swallowed deeply, trying to catch his breath. He watched in awe as the red eyes stopped glowing, and then in the light of the moon, he could barely make out its eyes turning into a clear blue color. And slowly, the fur on the beast's head started to recede.

Kurt took a step away from the creature as it rolled to its back and started to twist and yowl as it became furless and then… then… before Kurt's eyes, with a long howl that turned into a human-sounding shout, the Dontizu transformed into a man.

He lay curled up on his side, claw marks all over his naked body. He lifted his head and looked up at Kurt with a dirty blood-smeared face that was somehow familiar, but in his panic, Kurt couldn't quite place it. "Wh-who are you?" The man asked in a gravelly voice.

"I…" Kurt took another step back. "Who are _you_?"

The man slowly stood, groaning the whole time, and Kurt saw a large burn on his chest from the magic Blaine had used on him. The man straightened himself up, and Kurt could hear his bones creaking; he proudly rounded his shoulders, and stood tall, apparently not caring that he didn't have a stich of clothing on.

"I am Cooper William Anderson of Bryn o Wyrdd."

Oh _god_ , Kurt stared, that's why he was familiar, the picture in the drawing room! This was the boy all grown up. Blue eyes like his mother, strong jaw like his father and the dark hair that ran in the family.

"And the only reason you are still alive," Cooper continued, "Is that you seem to be a friend of my brother's and you carry his heartstone."

Cooper nodded towards Kurt's jacket.

"You can't have it," Kurt said resolutely, hand over his heart and the stone, even as shock rippled through him. Cooper Anderson…. Was a _Dontizu_? This was going to kill Blaine.

"Good. I don't want the _damned_ thing," Cooper spat, eyes steely. "I do want to go back to my brother, as he lays on the ground and bleeds out."

"He… he can't die," Kurt said in alarm.

"Yeah but it hurts like a motherfucker." Cooper nodded in the direction Kurt had come from. "Come on."

"No," Kurt said, standing his ground. "You're one of them. Why in the world would I trust you?"

Kurt was shivering, more in fear than because of the cold, but he wasn't going to follow this man if he meant harm to Blaine. There was still jumping off the cliff as an option. Though, as he closed his eyes, he pictured his father's face, and it made him sick to think of dying and leaving him behind. When he opened his eyes, Cooper was standing uncomfortably close.

"You'll trust me because if I wanted you dead - pieces of you would be littered all over the forest by now. Besides, I just saved your life! And I may be one of _them_ , but Blaine is still my family. My blood!"

"Then... then why have you made everything so hard for him! Stealing his heartstone and the charm, hiding his stone from him for years!" Kurt had no idea where this boldness was coming from, probably misdirected adrenaline, but he was angry now.

"You mean stopping him from reconnecting with his heartstone when he wanted to face the Dontizu out of anger?" Cooper shouted. "A plan that surely would have gotten him killed? You mean making sure his heartstone found someplace safe with a person with a pure heart who could protect it?" Cooper stretched out his arms at his sides in frustration, "Everything I've done I've done to protect him!" His voice came out a little like a growl and his front teeth started growing like fangs. Kurt took another step away from him, but Cooper shook his head and lowered his arms and he was completely human looking again. "Sorry. Sorry."

"You're still a Dontizu," Kurt said weakly, his voice shaking and the sound of his blood pumping in his ears.

"And that is something I fight against every day of my miserable life. Now, I'm going back to Blaine. Stay here if you want. What do I care?" He turned and started marching off on his own.

"Wait!" Kurt called, shrugging off his jacket and taking the heartstone out. He handed the jacket to Cooper. "You're… really naked."

Cooper stared at him for a moment and then his lips tipped up in a smile that reminded Kurt so much of Blaine his heart pounded. He grabbed the jacket from Kurt and slipped it on, Kurt was glad it was a long peacoat, it covered most everything.

Kurt didn't wait for Cooper, the need to get back to Blaine overtaking any lingering doubts, and there were plenty of them.

He strode through the trees that seemed much less intimidating now and back to Blaine. Three things were true that he had thought were impossible just moments ago: he was alive, the heartstone was safe for now, and he was going to see the man he loved again. _Oh Blaine please be alright and_ _ **please**_ _know what to do now because I am so out of my depths and a little terrified._ He squared his shoulders though so that Cooper Anderson, a _Dontizu_ , wouldn't see his fear and continued on back towards the mansion.


	16. Chapter 15

Kurt's walk soon turned into a jog and then a fully fledged sprint as he left the woods and went back to the mansion where he'd left an injured and bleeding Blaine. Kurt could only make out Blaine's prone figure on the bluff by the light of the moon as he skidded to his knees beside him. Cooper was right behind him, but Kurt didn't pay him much attention in his concern for Blaine.

"Blaine?" He called, leaning over him. "Blaine?"

Blaine blinked his eyes open a slit; his face was white, his shirt and jacket and the scarf Kurt had left behind were crimson red, drenched in blood. Kurt took a shuttering breath at the sight, he knew Blaine had told him this couldn't kill him, but it still tore Kurt apart to see him so hurt.

"You…" Blaine tried to speak, but his voice was weak and gravelly. "You shouldn't be…."

"Shhh," Kurt hushed him, running a hand gently down Blaine's cheek. "Everything is okay. Let me help you."

"We should get him into the house," Cooper said, standing over them. "I can carry him."

"You don't touch him," Kurt snapped, getting his hands under Blaine's body to lift him. He wanted to trust Cooper, but he wasn't sure of him, and his worry for Blaine was overwhelming all other thoughts at the moment.

"I… who else is here?" Blaine asked, his eyes looking at Kurt but seemingly unfocused.

"Just don't worry, trust me," Kurt said as he attempted to lift him. In the end, Cooper did have to help a little, but Kurt mostly got Blaine back to the house on his own. He went straight to the drawing room because he remembered a pretty sturdy-looking sofa in there.

He placed Blaine down carefully on the couch and started taking off his ruined coat and shirt, the wounds he saw were enough to make his heart sick. "Can you heal him?" Kurt asked, glancing at Cooper. Blaine had lost consciousness on the way in and Kurt was out of options.

"Heal him? Of course not."

Kurt huffed in frustration. "I thought you had magic."

Cooper narrowed his eyes at him. "I do. I used to be able to heal, but not now. I have very little magic that actually helps others now… I'm not _human_ anymore you know."

Kurt shivered at those words, here he was with an injured Blaine and one of the monsters they'd been avoiding all this time was right there with them. Kurt just hoped that somehow he was in the presence of the one _good_ Dontizu because he knew he didn't stand a chance against him.

"Are there other Dontizu nearby?" Kurt asked as he got the last shreds of Blaine's shirt off of him.

" _Dontizu_." Blaine murmured, halfway unconscious. "Run Kurt." Blaine's eyelids fluttered but he didn't wake up. Kurt looked at his troubled face to his torn up chest and felt like he was going to burst into tears. He couldn't, though, Blaine was counting on him.

"The one I killed was a scout," Cooper answered, standing near the sofa and looking down at his brother. "When it doesn't return, the others will come."

Kurt closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. Blaine said he healed quickly. He hoped it was really quickly.

"How many?"

"Fifty I'd say? Not nearly as many as there used to be."

 _Fifty_? Kurt held his head in his hand a minute and took a few calming breaths, he couldn't panic now. "Okay, we need…. Light… and I need to treat Blaine's wounds," Kurt said in a shaky voice. "How can you help me with that?" He looked up at Cooper expectantly.

Cooper narrowed his eyes at Kurt for a moment, not threateningly, more like he was appraising him.

"Cooper. Your brother needs help!"

"I have candles and I think I have a first aid kit. I've been living here off and on for the past few years. There is a water pump outside to the east of the house, it still works."

Kurt glanced down at Blaine, he didn't want to leave him, but he couldn't just sit there either, and his wounds needed to be tended to. "You get the candles; set them up in here and bring the first aid kit. And that fireplace," Kurt said, pointing, "Can you get it lit?"

Cooper turned to look where Kurt was pointing, but then his eyes traveled up to the portrait of his family. "I had that covered for a reason," He said darkly.

"Yes, you seem to have an abundance of reasons for the things you've done. Now will you help me with Blaine or not?"

Cooper turned and glared at him, a sight that should have made Kurt's blood chill: his face still covered in Dontizu blood and his blue eyes flashing an angry purple, but Kurt was too concerned about Blaine to let it shake him.

"I'll get the candles and the kit. See if you can gather some firewood when you get the water." Cooper turned away and stalked out of the room. So far meeting Blaine's only remaining family wasn't going anything like Kurt had imagined.

Kurt leaned over Blaine and kissed his cold forehead. "I'll be right back love."

He got up and checked that the heartstone was still safe in the pocket of his slacks-it was a deeper red than normal and it was glowing faintly-Kurt had no idea what that meant. Then he went outside to get wood and water. When he came back in with a full pail and awkwardly balancing a pile of wood under one arm, he was glad to see the room illuminated by candles and Cooper, his feet bare, and wearing jeans and a t-shirt, leaning over the fireplace and cleaning it out.

"I brought a pot to heat the water in," Cooper said, not looking up.

Kurt placed the pail down next to him and dropped the wood. "Thank you." He turned to check on Blaine who seemed to still be asleep. Or at least he was telling himself it was just sleep. He kissed his cheek and went back to the fireplace where Cooper was stacking the firewood, stuffing an old cloth under it as kindling.

As soon as they had water heated, Kurt started cleaning Blaine's chest, remembering when he'd done this just a couple of days ago for a burn. This was much worse, though: long scratches from his right shoulder down to the left side of his hip. They were deep and looked painful, and Kurt was sure that if Blaine had been anyone else, he would have bled out by now. Even with Blaine's magical power, these wounds would probably never heal completely, more scars for Blaine to carry as reminders of horrible things. Kurt, filled with worry over him, kissed Blaine's face again.

Cooper's first aid kit was limited, but he was at least able to wrap the wounds up after cleaning them to try to keep them from getting infected. And they seemed to have stopped bleeding.

Cooper watched him the whole time. Not saying a word. Once Kurt was satisfied that he'd done as much as he could, he sat on the sofa lifting Blaine's head and resting it in his lap so he could play with his hair. It was comforting.

He glanced up to see Cooper pacing back and forth across the room.

"What's your problem?"

"It's hard to stay in this human form so long." Cooper stopped and snapped at him, his voice rough like a growl again. "I need to change."

"Well, get far away from here first!"

"I won't hurt you, or him, in my animal form. I didn't before, even when Blaine used magic against me."

"I… I don't think he knew it was you."

"No, I don't think he did. I'm just saying you can trust me."

"How long have you been…. When did…" Kurt stopped and swallowed.

"Five years," Cooper answered.

Cooper had been a Dontizu for five years… how was Blaine going to handle this information when he came to?

"And the Dontizu feed on other people's life force right? Or their souls or something?" Kurt asked, remembering everything he'd been told about them.

Cooper didn't answer but his face grew dark.

"So in the five years you haven't been human, have you ever fed off of someone's soul?"

Again Cooper didn't answer, but he didn't have to. Kurt was surprisingly good at reading Anderson facial expressions.

" _That's_ why I can't trust you."

"Fine," Cooper said, turning to storm out of the room. "I'll be back before he wakes up." He stripped off the t-shirt and left it behind and Kurt imagined the jeans were probably abandoned on the floor in the hall.

"Wake up soon," Kurt said, looking down at Blaine and brushing some curls off of his forehead. "I have no idea what I'm doing here."

Kurt's eyes stung from weariness, it wasn't really that late, but the last few days had been very stressful. He must have nodded off for a little while because he came to when Cooper barged into the room again. He was wearing the jeans again and he scooped the t-shirt off the ground.

"Feel better?" Kurt asked, looking at his messed up hair, a few leaves stuck her and there. He'd washed the blood off of his face though, so that was a relief.

"I haven't bothered with looking human from a while now it… it's difficult for me."

Kurt nodded, wondering in how many ways it was difficult for him. Did he even feel human anymore? That was a thought that made the hairs on the back of Kurt's neck stand on end. He was putting a lot of trust in a man he'd never met before.

Kurt got up from the sofa, gently laying Blaine's head down, to stir the fire. He heard a groan and quickly spun around. Blaine was trying to sit up, looking down at the bandages on his chest. The light from the fire and candles lighting his bronzed skin; in the dark, the shadows made his bandages look even grimmer.

"Hey squirt," Cooper said and Blaine's head snapped up immediately. Kurt's heart skipped a beat as Blaine jumped up from the couch, heedless of his injuries, and rushed towards Cooper, pushing him backwards until he was pinned to the wall, Blaine panting and glaring at him. Cooper lifted his hands in a sign of surrender.

"What the _hell_ are you doing here?" Blaine demanded.

"See and here I thought you'd come to find me."

Blaine shoved him harder against the wall and Kurt watched as Cooper's lip curled up in a snarl- and okay that was a bad thing. Cooper pushed Blaine off of him and let out a low growl. Blaine took a step back in surprise.

"Stop!" Kurt came up behind him and Blaine turned to look at him; immediately, his face grew pale and his eyes widened.

"Kurt!" He grabbed Kurt by the arms. "You're hurt. Where are you hurt? Sit down" He led him to the couch, practically pushing him to sit, his eyes wild and panicked.

"Blaine I'm fine-" He didn't know what was going on-Blaine was the one injured not him-then he glanced down to see streaks of blood soaking his shirt, but it wasn't his blood, it was Blaine's from when Kurt had carried him in. "It isn't my blood," he said. Blaine had knelt on the floor in front of him, looking for injuries and Kurt tilted his face up to get his attention. "It's your blood, not mine. I'm okay. You were hurt badly and I brought you into _Bryn o Wyrdd_ ," Kurt answered, and he could tell by Blaine's immediate smile that he'd butchered the pronunciation.

He let out a sigh, "I thought I told you to get away from here."

Kurt shrugged. "I did. And then I came back."

Blaine looked him over as if still checking him for injuries.

"I'm _fine_ Blaine. You're the one that got torn up by a mythical creature. And your heartstone is safe too." Kurt said, pulling it out of his pocket to show him.

Blaine blinked at the stone, it was glowing faintly and Kurt thought Blaine's face was even more beautiful than usual in its light. Blaine took the heartstone carefully, and looked at Kurt with round eyes. "How are you here and safe? I sent you away with the faint hope that you'd be alright but I didn't really think-" Blaine's voice broke and he just shook his head. Kurt hushed him, leaning down and kissing his lips softly.

"We aren't out of the woods yet," Kurt said tenderly. "But I promise I'm okay."

"The Dontizu?"

"It's dead."

"There were two. And how…. Wait, did you kill one?"

"No." Kurt shook his head and looked back up at Cooper who was still standing near the wall silently watching them.

"Someone else killed it, and saved me in the process."

Blaine glanced back at him. "You saved Kurt?"

Cooper folded his arms across his chest and nodded.

"There were two Dontizu… and if you killed one…" Blaine processed out loud and swallowed nervously; from this close, Kurt could see his eyes tearing up before they fluttered closed. " _Oh god no_."

* * *

Blaine sat still and rigid next to Kurt on the couch, pushing down his desire to take Kurt's hand and run as fast as he could to somewhere Kurt would be safe and far, far away from everything that was going on.

Across from them sat Cooper, legs crisscrossed on the floor, his dark hair long enough to reach his shoulders and his face patchily shaved. Blaine had never seen his brother look so disheveled, wearing just a white t-shirt and some tattered jeans. Then again, he wasn't sure this was actually his brother, not anymore.

Cooper and Kurt had explained what had happened after he'd been injured, and while he was relieved Kurt was alive and unharmed, that knowledge came with a heavy price. Cooper was a Dontizu, one of the very monsters he was set to destroy. His stomach hurt at the thought.

"So your whole theory as to why we can trust you is that you didn't _kill_ us when you could have?" Blaine finally said, breaking the awkward silence that had been growing in the room. "You're a monster, Cooper." The words hurt his throat to force out.

For the last eighteen years, he'd been furious with his brother. He'd yelled and ranted and cursed his name, but never in all that time had he wanted... _this_. The Cooper he knew was gone, left in his place was a creature that looked like him.

"I am a monster," Cooper said, his blue eyes flashing in anger. "But I'm still me. I'm still your brother." As if he knew what Blaine was thinking-and maybe he did-who had known Blaine longer than his brother? They'd spent decades together; if there were anything left of his brother in this monster, then Cooper would know what kind of doubts Blaine was struggling with.

Blaine shifted uncomfortably on the couch and Kurt squeezed his hand. They had explained that Cooper had been the Dontizu they had first encountered upstairs, and yes, Cooper was right; he hadn't attacked them even though he had time. They also described how Kurt had been trapped between a creature and a cliff's edge, sure he was going to die. The thought made Blaine's heart pound painfully as he scooted closer to Kurt on the sofa. Kurt had survived, though, because Cooper had saved his life.

"How?" Blaine asked as the silence started again. "How did this happen? How are you even… just sitting there talking to us… you're… you're…" Blaine's throat felt tight with tears and he couldn't keep speaking. He lowered his head and held it in his hands as Kurt started rubbing comfortingly up and down his back.

"The Dontizu weren't always just creatures," Cooper answered. "I can keep a human form for a while, though the other Dontizu don't bother with it anymore. They were once mostly people, only _sometimes_ creatures. You know that."

Blaine's head snapped back up. "They were always evil."

Cooper clenched his jaw and looked away and Blaine regretted his words, even if they were true.

"Maybe I am evil. I still don't want anything to happen to my kid brother." Cooper looked back at him, and Blaine was shocked by the intensity of his eyes. "Think of it as my last remaining human characteristic. I want to protect you, Blaine."

Blaine took a deep breath and wiped his eyes, not letting any tears fall. "And I'm supposed to believe that's why you stole my heartstone and let me leave with the wrong charm all those years ago, to _protect me_?"

"It worked," Cooper answered simply. "If you had faced the Dontizu eighteen years ago, all bravado and anger, they would have demolished you. Besides, I put a spell on your heartstone so it would go to a pure heart, the 'one who would care for it most'. That seemed to work out. You and Kurt seem to be…" Cooper cleared his throat. "More than friends." They both glanced at Kurt.

Kurt was looking down at his lap with a blush high on his cheeks, when Kurt looked up at him with a small smile it made Blaine's heart flutter.

"You're saying you brought Kurt and me together?" Blaine said smiling softly at Kurt.

"That seems to be the end result of my spell." Cooper sighed.

Blaine turned back to him. "So, instead of letting me face the Dontizu all those years ago, you faced them yourself and became… _this_." He gestured towards him.

"I didn't face them on purpose. They found me. And destroyed my heartstone, and before I could stop them… I was one of them. I hate myself Blaine, for what I've become and what I've done these past five years, but the one thought that kept me sane, kept me almost _human_ … was you. The knowledge that one day you'd need my help. I knew it was coming, the day you couldn't run anymore. I just got back to Wales you know? A little before you? I've been in America the past few months watching over you."

"Wait, watching me?" Blaine said his breath catching in his throat.

"Mostly in my animal form." Cooper shrugged, "I can't count the number of nights I stood outside of your apartment building keeping guard. And never once have I done you or Kurt or anyone you know harm."

"But you have done harm," Blaine said, his throat dry. The idea of Cooper looking out for him even after all this time was warming, but he knew that Cooper was leaving some things out.

Cooper shot him a glare. "I'm a Dontizu… you said it yourself, a monster," Cooper said, his eyes losing their anger and turning mournful. "It's my nature."

Blaine's chest ached as he turned to Kurt. He didn't know if he trusted Cooper, but he wanted too so much. He needed someone more rational to help him. "Kurt… could we talk for a moment?" He glanced at Cooper. "Out in the hall maybe?"

Kurt arched an eyebrow question, but he nodded and followed Blaine out.

"What do you think?" Blaine asked once they were out of Cooper earshot.

"I…" Kurt's eyes widened in surprise. "What do _I_ think?"

"I trust you more than anyone, Kurt. I'd love to know what you are thinking right now."

Kurt quickly glanced back towards the drawing room and then to Blaine again. "Well, I know Cooper saved my life..." He answered slowly, thinking it through. "I'd be lying at the bottom of a cliff right now if it weren't for him."

" _Don't_ ," Blaine said, reaching for Kurt's hands and kissing his knuckles. "I can't even think about that."

Kurt smiled faintly and continued, "And I know that you are acting tough but that you're still injured. Whether you heal quickly or not, you aren't healed completely yet. I know the rest of the Dontizu are on their way to _kill you_. I know… it would be really great to have someone else on our side. _Especially_ a shapeshifting magical creature."

Blaine nodded and a small smile grew on his lips. Kurt made sense; facing the Dontizu with Cooper at his side… after everything they'd been through over the past hundred years – it just seemed right – Blaine supposed that this was Cooper's fight too. And here was Kurt thrown into the middle of all of this standing next to him and confidently discussing matters that he hadn't even believed in a few weeks ago. It was all so overwhelming.

"I can put my life in his hands," Blaine said. "But I can't risk yours." It was time. "You have to go back home."

"No," Kurt said, taking a step away from him.

" _Kurt_." Blaine sighed. It was too dangerous-he hadn't expected to confront the Dontizu right away-he had to send Kurt home. He closed his eyes and took a deep steadying breath; he didn't want to do this, but he told Felix if Kurt wouldn't leave on his own he'd send him to safety using magic and the Dontizu could literally be there any moment. He dug deep inside of himself, summoning a magic he hadn't used in years, a magic he hated. He opened his eyes and looked straight into Kurt's, still holding both of his hands. He could do this, he could tell Kurt to go home and Kurt would go. He'd be compelled to.

"Blaine?" Kurt asked, looking worried.

"I…" Blaine could taste the words on his tongue, the magic stirring in him, he just needed to say it. _Go home Kurt. Find Felix. Be safe.  
_  
Kurt reached out and cupped Blaine's cheek in a gentle hand. "Are you alright?"

Blaine let out the breath he was holding and pushed the magic back down again. He needed Kurt to be safe, but he couldn't, he _couldn't_ force him to do something he knew Kurt wouldn't chose on his own. He wouldn't do that to him.

Blaine felt shaky from head to toe; without using magic to force Kurt to safety, he had no idea how to keep him from harm.

"What just happened?" Kurt asked, his eyebrows furrowed and his expression worried.

"Huh." Cooper spoke up from behind them. Blaine snapped his head towards him, Cooper was leaning casually on the door frame with his arms crossed.

"Cooper you were _listening_?" Blaine asked in frustration.

He just shrugged like eavesdropping should have been expected. "I really thought you were going to do it."

"Do what?" Kurt asked, looking back and forth between them.

"Compel you. It is something Blaine can do."

" _Cooper_." Blaine scolded, in the past years of being separated from his brother he'd forgotten just how annoying and intrusive he could be.

"What? He should know. Compelling people is a magic that Blaine up using decades ago." Cooper continued and Blaine watched Kurt for his reaction. "If he uses the right words with the right magic he can _make_ someone do what he says."

"What?" Kurt looked sharply at Blaine. "You were going to do that to me?" He quickly took yet another step backwards letting go of Blaine's hands.

"Kurt…"

"No. _No!_ Were you going to use that magic against _me_?"

"I didn't do it, Kurt."

"But you thought about it!"

"To keep you safe. I'm sorry, Kurt, I just… I _need_ you safe."

Kurt's face was red and blotchy, his fist curled and his eyes flashed in anger. "How dare you. If you ever _ever_ use magic against me, Blaine… I… I'll. You just _can't_! Don't you see! I'll never trust you!"

Blaine felt like he'd been slapped in the face. He'd done so much to gain Kurt's trust against all odds. He couldn't lose it now. "But if you die here it will be my fault!"

"I am my own person, Blaine, and if I chose to stay when I know full well what could happen, then that is on me, not on you. And you want me safe. I _know_. But I want you safe too. And god! I am so _mad_ at you right now! But I'm not leaving. I am _not_ leaving you."

"I'm sorry," Blaine said, his stomach feeling empty.

"Promise. _Promise_ me that you will _never_ use magic on me without my permission, even if you think it is for my own good. _Promise_." Kurt demanded.

"I promise, Kurt."

"I _have_ to be able to trust you." Kurt pleaded, his eyes misty.

"I know… that's why I didn't use it on you, and I never will." Blaine was near tears himself. He meant it, he wouldn't do anything to jeopardize Kurt's trust.

Kurt nodded and folded his arms across his chest. "Unless I'm dying and unconscious and need you to heal me or something," Kurt murmured.

"That's a good exception," Blaine said, smiling and trying to catch Kurt's eye.

"What do we do now?" Kurt asked, clearly keen on changing the subject.

"I know what we need," Cooper said, smiling the first smile Blaine had seen from him in years. He nodded back towards the drawing room and then disappeared into the room. Blaine sighed but followed him in, Kurt beside him. Cooper walked towards the mantel, reaching up for the Anderson family portrait and unhooking it from the wall; it came down quickly.

"What are you doing?" Blaine asked.

"I think you need Father's real charm now don't you?" He brought the portrait to the middle of the room and laid in on the floor. Blaine knelt beside him and Kurt came and joined him. Blaine looked at him and smiled, and Kurt smiled back. Blaine reached for Kurt's hand and squeezed it, hoping to communicate a silent _I love you_.

Kurt leaned in and bumped their foreheads together, his anger apparently quickly dissipated.

Blaine turned back to his brother. "What does the portrait have to do with-" Blaine stopped short as Cooper hovered his hand over the picture and let his fingers grow out into long black claws. Blaine clenched his jaw and swallowed. Cooper really was a Dontizu, not that he doubted it, but seeing even just this small demonstration made it hit home. He felt like he might be sick.

Blaine had asked Felix to kill him if that ever happened to him, and now here he was, reunited with his estranged brother, only to learn that Cooper had lost the battle against the Dontizu…. And Blaine hadn't even been there to help him.

Cooper slid his claw down the portrait, ripping the canvas over their father's chest. "What are you doing?" Blaine asked, flashing him an annoyed glance, but Cooper didn't pay attention to him; instead, he dug into the torn painting and extracted a round stone charm on a gold chain. The charm withdrew from the portrait right where it had been hanging on their father's chest.

"Looking for this?" Cooper said with a smirk that made Blaine smile. Cooper looked like his old self.

Cooper held the charm up by the chain and Blaine reached for it. After all this time, he finally had his heartstone and his father's charm.

"You hid the charm, in the _painting_ of the charm?"

Cooper winked. "Clever right?"

Blaine just rolled his eyes and grasped the charm in his hand.

"So… that means it's time for the ritual, right?" Kurt asked nervously.

"The Dontizu are on their way, we have to move quickly," Blaine answered. He wanted to ask one more time if Kurt would please leave for safety, but he knew better. If the roles were reversed, there would be nothing in the world that would make Blaine leave Kurt.

Kurt nodded and moved from his knees to sit crisscrossed on the floor, and then he held out his hand. "Magic is easier with someone else right?"

Blaine looped the chain around his neck and pulled the stone out of his pocket before taking Kurt's hand; he glanced at Cooper to see him holding out a hand as well.

"Let me help squirt."

Blaine laughed a little sadly; he used to hate it when Cooper called him squirt, but now it made his chest ache. He handed the stone to Kurt. "You just have to hold it to my chest and against the charm. It won't hurt you." Kurt nodded and did as he was directed as Blaine used his free hand to hold onto Cooper.

Blaine closed his eyes and started to focus.

"Wait!"

His eyes snapped open to see Kurt's face close. Kurt dove in and pressed their lips together, kissing him soundly and making his head spin a little. His lips were eager and he lifted a hand to hold the back of Blaine's head, and Blaine didn't even care that Cooper must be watching, not when Kurt's lips felt like _this_. Soft and fervent and full of unspoken love and desire. Slowly Kurt pulled back looking at him with bright eyes and rosy cheeks.

"What… was that for?" Blaine asked a little breathlessly.

"You're about to become mortal… I… it was… an encouragement to live through whatever comes next," Kurt answered softly.

Blaine nodded, not able to think of what to say, Kurt didn't want to lose him and he was going to do everything in his power to make sure they _both_ lived through this.

Blaine took a deep breath and closed his eyes again. Kurt pressed the stone to the charm against his chest and Blaine focused on becoming whole. On how splintered he'd felt all his life. He focused on healing fractures and making things new and being _himself_ again. Fully, completely himself. He heard his heartstone start drumming loudly and even with his eyes closed, he could tell there was a bright light in the room.

Then, the pain came, the searing heat from the charm, burning into his bare and bandage-wrapped chest. He kept focusing on becoming whole even as a pained cry tore from his lips. This would hurt regardless, but on top of his current injuries, it was even worse. _Be complete, be you, focus._ Blaine thought to himself. _For Kurt, do this to get your magic fully returned so you can keep Kurt safe._

The light grew brighter, piercing through his closed eyelids and the beating grew louder, raging in his ears. If it weren't for the tight grip of Kurt and Cooper on either side of him, he would have felt lost in the noise and light. He shouted in pain again, he really couldn't take this much longer - and then… with a sharp wrench in his chest everything seemed to stop.

The beating quieted.

Blaine opened his eyes. The room was bathed in bright rosy light. Kurt sat beside him, but unmoving, like he'd been paused, frozen in time; he was holding Blaine's hand and leaning forward with his other hand on Blaine's chest and there was a frightened look on his face. Blaine blinked and turned to look at Cooper who was also bathed in light and frozen, his face was also worried, and his teeth were bared in a snarl –as if that was his only defense mechanism left.

Blaine looked quickly back at Kurt. "Kurt, it's okay-" he started to say, and then the moment was over. The light vanished; Blaine saw a burst of glowing mist and then the pain in his chest disappeared. He let go of Kurt and Cooper and fell backwards on the ground.

"Blaine!" Blaine blinked up at Kurt who was staring down at him in concern. " _Blaine_."

Blaine smiled up at him reassuringly, he felt… weird, different, he felt _good_. "It seems like I'm always waking up from being hurt or ill, to find you looking down at me."

Kurt let out a breath of relief. "Yeah, you need to cut that out already."

Blaine sat up and shook his head.

Kurt's hands were on his chest and his brows were furrowed. "So that was… did it work?" Kurt asked.

Blaine couldn't really explain how he was felling. His chest felt kind of full, like he'd taken the deepest breath of his life. And he felt warm head to toe, warmer than he could ever remember feeling. He felt like he did the first time Kurt had put cinnamon in his coffee, or the way he had felt when they danced together at the Broadway Ball, or the way he felt every time Kurt told him he loved him … he felt happy. More than happy. He felt – complete.

"I think it must have worked," Cooper answered, "Your heartstone is gone."

"It just disappeared from my hand," Kurt said, his eyes wide and his face a little pale. "It became this red mist that just sort of… moved into your body. Are you sure you're okay? Because it was actually kind of frightening and you were obviously in pain and- why are you smiling like that?"

Blaine realized he'd been smiling at Kurt like an idiot the whole time he had been speaking. Blaine tilted his head back and laughed, really laughed, harder than he had… well harder than he ever remembered laughing. "Yeah I'm okay. I great. I'm fantastic!"

He got on his knees and then held Kurt's face in both of his hands, bringing their lips together, and then parting his to allow Kurt access. He pressed forward, kissing him deeply and nipping at Kurt's bottom lip a little. Kurt only hesitated a moment before his arms were around him and Blaine deepened the kiss. He moaned; he would have kissed Kurt down to the floor if it wasn't for Cooper sitting nearby. He sighed as they parted and Kurt looked at him, eyes wide and his cheeks flushed.

"Okay… that was…" Kurt cleared his throat. "Wow."

Blaine just grinned at him. He couldn't help it. He wanted to get up and dance around the room, sing and spin Kurt in his arms. He felt _amazing_. He closed his eyes for a moment, letting out a long breath. He felt excited and jittery – he felt like taking hold of Kurt's hand and running away with him. Somewhere safe where they could just be together in peace. Safe and happy. That wasn't an option, though; the Dontizu would find them no matter where he went – especially now that his full power was restored. He could feel his power too, sparking inside of him down to his fingertips. The Dontizu could no longer turn him into one of them, but his immortality was gone, they could still kill him to feed off of his powers.

He opened his eyes to find his brother and Kurt watching him. Cooper was twitchy and his eyes were a strange purplish color.

"What's happening to you?" Blaine asked, his spirits falling a little.

"I need to change soon," He said.

"Good – do that." Blaine nodded. "You'll be able to fight them better. I can feel them, they're almost here."

Kurt reached for his hand and squeezed. "Should you somehow test to see if your full magic has returned?"

"It has," Blaine answered; he could feel the power pumping though him, and he felt stronger than he ever had. Kurt looked scared, though, so he stood to his feet taking Kurt with him. "I'll show you."

He stood back from Kurt and glanced over the dark and desolate room, remembering, with a tug at his heart, what it used to look like over a century ago when he lived here happily with his family. He lifted a hand and the candles that were clustered around the room lifted into the air, hanging suspended for a moment until Blaine flicked his wrist and they started spinning and circling the room, faster and faster and faster. He glanced at Cooper who watched them, arms crossed over his chest, and then back to Kurt whose eyes were wide and full of awe as the candles rushed together making one great silver light that burst in the air.

Kurt let out a gasp as beads of silver light started raining down in the room, and each drop that touched down transformed the room to its former glory. When the silver rain stopped, the room was lit by the lamps on the wall, the furniture was uncovered and looked as new as the day it was purchased, the rugs were no longer torn or dirty, and the wood walls were polished and gleaming. Best of all, the portrait of his family was back on the mantel where it belonged, no longer torn by Cooper's claw.

"This, _this_ is how it should look," Blaine said with a hitch in his throat.

Kurt was still holding his hand when he turned to look at him. "It's beautiful."

Cooper cleared his through like he was fighting back some emotion and Blaine turned to him. "You have your magic back." He looked around the restored room, probably struggling with memories, the same kind of memories that where rushing through Blaine right now. "Not a bad job."

Blaine opened his mouth to respond when he was cut off by a harsh howl from outside.

Everything seemed to happen at once.

Kurt spun around to look towards the window and Cooper immediately growled, eyes flashing red.

Blaine turned to Kurt who'd gone a little pale. "You have to stay back-you can't fight these monsters-leave it to Cooper and me. Understood?"

Kurt turned to him. "But-"

There was another howl from outside and then another and _another_. They were close and getting louder. God, this was it – after all of these years, he was going to face the creatures who had killed his parents and destroyed his life. He had to live through this, not only for his sake, but for Kurt, it was the only way Kurt stood a chance.

"I love you," Blaine said quickly, and at the same time, there was a loud crash as glass from the large nearby window shattered and a huge creature burst through.

"Get back!" Cooper shouted stepping in front of Blaine and Kurt and growling loudly even though he was yet to transform into his animal form. Soon, though monsters were streaming through the window-one, two, three… and still there were howls from outside.

Blaine turned to Kurt. "Upstairs – third door to the left. The door is solid and strong – lock yourself inside."

" _Blaine_."

"Go! How can I fight them if all I can do is keep my eyes on you? _RUN_!"

Kurt only hesitated a moment, his tearful eyes searching Blaine's, and then he spun around, racing for the door. A Dontizu sprang towards him, but Blaine lifted his hand and pushed his power forward, causing the creature to fly sideways and hit the wall. Kurt ran from the room. Blaine didn't have time to check if he made it to the stairs or not because he and Cooper were surrounded by Dontizu all snarling and hunched as if ready to spring forward; he lifted both of his hands and let his power thrum and spark through him. It was time to fight. It was time to win.


	17. Chapter 16

**AN:AGH! I can believe we are coming to the end! I'm having a little anxiety over that! Wheew!**

 **One more huge thanks to my beta TheathreVicki who made this one of the most enjoyable stories I've ever worked on.**

 **And thank you all again for sticking with me through my long stretches between chapters and for reading my story at all and for sharing your love of Klaine. I'd would so love to hear from you if you want to drop me a comment!**

 **Meanwhile, stay tuned for the epilogue!**

 **XOXO**

* * *

Kurt's heart was pounding in his ears as he ran out of the drawing room, leaving Blaine behind while the room filled with monsters that wanted to kill him. _Oh god_.

He ached to stay with Blaine-to stand and fight with him-but he knew Blaine was right. He had no defense against those creatures and he would _not_ let Blaine get hurt because of him. Still, this was the worst feeling in the world: running to hide when Blaine was left to fight. He skidded into the main entryway and glanced up the stairs. Was he really doing this?

There was a growl behind his shoulder and Kurt's heart almost stopped. He spun around to find a Dontizu standing between him and the front door. There was no way to leave, which he wasn't going to do anyway, but there was also no way to run past it to get back to the drawing room either. He had no time to think through anything-he just turned and flung himself towards the stairs, tripping a little on his way. He rushed up them two at a time and turned left. _Third door to the left._

He practically ran into the door in his speed to get inside; he paused for a fraction of a second, staring at the metal-worked head of a Dontizu hanging on the door-smaller but similar to the one Felix had -then he threw the door open and rushed inside. The door was heavy and solid and Kurt shut it hard behind him with a thud that rang in his ears.

He was panting and feeling frantic, breathing quickly. _Lock the door._ Okay… right… but it was one of those old-fashioned doors with a keyhole and he _had no key_. The room was dark as he spun around; he heard a rattling behind him and looked at the door again to see that there was a key already in the lock; it was shaking and rattling as if to get his attention and it somehow had a faint silver glow to it. Blaine. He was somehow keeping him safe even now.

Kurt turned the key in the lock and then leaned his forehead against the door, letting out a long breath that sounded like a sob. He was shaking head to toe, and as he lowered himself to the ground, the crying really started. He was supposedly safe in this room, but he had no idea what was happening to Blaine.

He turned to lean his back against the door and hugged his knees to himself. He glanced around the room, there were a few windows letting in the light of the moon, but otherwise it was dark. It could have been a study, or a small library - the walls had shelves of books, but he wasn't sure why a study would need such a thick door. Then again, the family that had once lived here all had magic, who knew what they used to study here.

Kurt wiped his face with his palms and tried to steady his breath. There had to be something he could do. He couldn't sit here and just wait for Blaine to defeat the Dontizu or to… to die. This was his fight too, but what could he possibly do that wouldn't make things worse?

* * *

Blaine's breath was coming in short pants as he used his magic to toss another Dontizu across the room. Cooper ran to his side, his face rigid and his eyes glowing.

"Change, Cooper! I need your help!" Blaine cried.

"I just… there is so much I want to say to you…"

Blaine used his magic to push back two Dontizu trying to crawl in through the window. "I have a lot I need to say too," Blaine answered quickly, glancing at his brother. "I guess we are both going to have to live through this."

Cooper smiled a smile that Blaine had seen countless times in his life: half grin, half smirk, with a little wink. Blaine's heart tugged; he never let himself realize how much he'd missed his brother.

"See you on the other side then," Cooper said and he growled at a Dontizu that had just leaped into the room, long spikes of fur shooting out of his skin and ripping his shirt and pants to shreds. There was a creaking of bones and a snarl, and then Cooper was no longer standing there, replaced by a red-eyed monster with fangs as long as Blaine's hand.

Blaine wasn't sure how many more Dontizu flooded into the room in the next minutes; all he knew was that every time he sent a blast of hot, angry magic to knock one down, another two took its place. Cooper was holding his own, snarling and snapping, flinging Dontizu off of his back as they attempted to bring him down, and clamping down on their necks with sharp fangs.

Blaine wanted to make sure Cooper was safe, but he seemed to be doing well for himself; besides, if he spent too much time focused on Coop, then he would end up with a monster ripping his own throat. He had to focus. Even when Cooper led a pack of Dontizu out of the drawing room and into the entryway. Blaine could hear snarls and yaps from that direction as he fought-that was good-as long as they were fighting, it meant Cooper was still alive.

Blaine realized quickly that his wounds from the Dontizu's claw he had gotten earlier hadn't healed completely as he thrust his arms forward to use his powers to push a pair of Dontizu away from himself and towards each other. He felt a tear and looked down to see that fresh red blood was staining his bandages. He wasn't healing as fast as he'd like.

The injury was something he could fight through, but he had to keep in mind that he was mortal now. Injuries could kill him, he had to keep these creatures from even getting close to him. He also needed to find a way to attack a bunch of Dontizu at once – he wasn't doing poorly for himself, he'd sent one Dontizu through the window, crushed several against the wall, and had thrown one into the giant lit fireplace— but picking them off one or two at a time wasn't going to be enough. It seemed as if every time he killed one, another one would burst in through the window, eyes red and fangs dripping. If his newfound power wasn't so strong, he'd be flagging already.

He couldn't remember ever feeling this bursting of power. He hadn't had his full power since he was a child, and then, he was only five and still growing into his gifts. Now he was struggling to keep a reign on the magic coursing through him. It was _so_ much and it took effort to focus it towards the Dontizu and not just let it loose, he might end up destroying everything – and everyone – around him if he did that.

He flung another Dontizu against the wall, hearing the gruesome crack of its skull, but he didn't turn in quite enough time to ward of a Dontizu that came up behind him. It had enough time to sink its teeth into his shoulder before Blaine cried out in pain, lifting the creature into the air with the force of his power, and in his adrenaline and pain, his outstretched hands tore the Dontizu in half.

 _Oh god_.

He didn't know he could do that, and he wasn't sure he liked the discovery. The pieces of the Dontizu hit the ground with a sickening clunk, and for a moment, the other creatures in the room seemed wary. Then, there was a howl from another part of the mansion, deeper and louder than any howl he'd heard yet, and it seemed to spur the Dontizu back into the fight. They growled and charged forward.

He flung them away again and again, pushing power out of his hands and hitting the Dontizu with violent sparks of silver. He tried to stay concentrated on the fight while inching his way out of the room and towards the entryway where, hopefully, Cooper was still fighting. That terrifying howl came from that direction and worry for his brother was distracting him.

Then, of course, there was Kurt. _His Kurt_. He had to believe Kurt had made it upstairs safely and into the old study. Kurt was everything, Kurt was the reason he was fighting to destroy the Dontizu once and for all. His family was dead, his brother was a monster – all he had was Kurt. If he thought for a second that Kurt wasn't alright he wouldn't be able to keep this up.

Blaine moved towards the door of the drawing room, still using his magic to keep the Dontizu at bay while flinging them against each other and up against the sturdy stone walls. He wanted to fight back to back with his brother this one last time. Even if he wasn't the brother he once knew.

He finally made it to the hallway, and he turned his back on the monsters and sent a huge bursting ball of fire behind him. The force of it almost knocked him off of his feet – that should slow them down. It would also destroy this part of the mansion, even the part his magic had restored. That stung, but really, it was long past the time to worry about _Bryn o Wyrdd_.

He ran to the wide-open entryway, hearing howls and snarls of pain behind him. He gasped as he entered the entry-way, there were at least two dozen Dontizu that Cooper was trying to fight, and more coming from all directions. Blaine ran forward, stretching out his hands and pounding magic into a few Dontizu that were nearly on top of Cooper, making them fly through the air to hit the stone ground with a thud.

Cooper looked at him, his animal eyes gleaming , and another Dontizu sprang towards him but Cooper swung his head back and opened his mouth, clamping down on the creature's throat right as it was about to pounce on him. Cooper shook it around by its neck until it stopped whimpering and then tossed it towards Blaine, the creature landing at his feet.

Blaine looked at the dead Dontizu and then up at his brother, and if it was possible for a larger-than-life magical wolf-like creature to smirk, Cooper had figured it out. Blaine felt something warm and familiar bubble up in his chest. Even in all of this, Cooper was showing off.

Blaine grinned at him and then lifted two Dontizu in the air, twirling them around as they howled before making them bash heads. He could show off too.

Cooper let out an appreciative yap and moved so that they were standing back to back as they continued to fight. Blaine's shoulder ached from the bite, but at least it wasn't too deep and he thought his adrenaline must be keeping him from really feeling his wounds. Between him and Cooper, they'd gotten rid of at least twenty Dontizu, but there were still too many of them.

After fighting well with Cooper at his back for a while, the Dontizu managed to separate Blaine from his brother as he spun and swirled and ducked and sent out bursts of lightning-like magic. When he looked up to see where Cooper was, the sight he found there made his blood run cold. He couldn't even _see_ his brother, but he had to assume he was in the middle of the pack of at least ten Dontizu. They were all focused on one area, ripping and snarling, attacking some unseen creature in their mist.

Blaine's heart pounded. They were going to kill him, they were going to rip Cooper to pieces before Blaine even had a chance to really talk to him. To thank him for Kurt, to tell him that he forgave him for all the shit that went down between them. Blaine knew Cooper was a monster and that he must have done horrible things in these past five years… but he was still his brother and the only family he had left. And if he didn't do something _now_ , Cooper would be gone...if it wasn't already too late.

"Cooper!" Blaine shouted, his voice so loud the room shook. "Get off him!" He roared at the Dontizu attacking his brother. Blaine pushed his hands forward and sent a huge ball of whirling silver light into the circle of Dontizu; it burst in their midst, sending out sparks and making many of them back away, while others yelped and were tossed into the air before hitting the ground bloody and burned, not to rise again. Blaine kept discovering new aspects of his power, but there was little time to take satisfaction in that.

"Cooper!" Blaine rushed forward to find a lone Dontizu lying on the ground, his fur matted with blood, and whining softly. He whimpered and looked up at Blaine with one good eye, the other one had a deep cut across it. Cooper whined and tried to stand, but collapsed back down again. Blaine knelt beside him, and then looked behind them quickly as more Dontizu started towards them. "NO!" He yelled and sent out a circular ring of light that surrounded him and Cooper and kept the Dontizu away. It took a great deal of strength and Blaine knew he couldn't keep it up for long. He had to work fast.

He curled his shaking hands into Cooper's matted fur and let the healing magic inside him flow out of him and into his injured brother. He had to heal faster than he usually liked to; he usually took his time, knitting things back together and putting things right, but they were still surrounded by Dontizu and even with the pulse Blaine was sending out to keep them at bay, Cooper was running out of time.

" _Don't,_ Coop," Blaine said through gritted teeth, and he felt the slowness of his brother's heartbeat. "Don't you dare give up."

The animal Cooper had become looked up at him with mournful eyes and Blaine sent more healing magic into him, focusing mostly on the internal injuries.

"Cooper… I need you. I still need you," he said and his throat was scratchy. Cooper's ear perked up at that, and after a moment longer of healing magic, Blaine could feel his brother's heartbeat growing stronger, and his breathing was less ragged. Blaine let out a hitched breath of relief. He wasn't going to lose Cooper now, not like this. Everything was happening too fast; he didn't even have time to really concentrate on the fact that he had his brother back after all these years. Cooper tried slowly to rise from the ground and Blaine kept an eye on him. The protective ring around him was draining his energy though, "Are you okay?" Blaine asked, "I'm going to let it down now."

Cooper nodded. Blaine sent one more surge of power into him and then sprang up from his feet, letting down their shield. Cooper was up as well, jumping right back into the fray. Blaine quickly glanced up at the wide stairway, thinking of Kurt. _Be safe Kurt, please._ His heart was beating painfully in his chest as he watched Cooper leap at a creature, going for its neck, its sharp black claws digging into Cooper's back as Cooper tore at the Dontizu. Blaine winced, and used his magic to toss the creature off of Cooper before he had to turn around and take care of a pair of Dontizu coming towards him.

Blaine was able to fight while mostly staying away from the Dontizu. Cooper, on the other hand, was going to get torn to shreds if Blaine didn't find a way to end this soon.

He took a few running steps up the staircase so he could look down on the entryway-Cooper was fighting a handful of Dontizu at a time, and while the stone floor was littered with fallen foes ,there were still more that were holding back for some reason, slinking around each other and eyeing Blaine.

He had to do something _now_.

He straightened his shoulders and took in a long deep breath, concentrating on centering his magic so he could send out a wave of power that would possibly… hopefully… hit all of the remaining Dontizu at once. If he hadn't been concentrating so hard, maybe he would have noticed the massive Dontizu on the second floor landing that suddenly leaped down towards the stairs. Maybe he would have been prepared for the searing pain as sharp claws scraped down his back. Maybe he would have been able to stop himself from toppling down the stairs defenseless against the Dontizu that had pinned him down against the hard, cold, stone floor.

* * *

Kurt sat shivering in the dark room, trying to hold back his tears, hating himself for sitting there in safety while Blaine fought for his life. Suddenly, he heard fierce growling and what sounded like a shout from Blaine, and before he knew what he was doing, Kurt was on his feet, his hand on the door handle, but not yet unlocking it.

If he just ran out there, he'd likely be killed before he even made it to Blaine. He couldn't be rash, but he couldn't stay here any longer either. Earlier, there had been a howl so deep that Kurt had felt it in his bones, and he thought for sure that it had meant the end, but there was still sounds of fighting. There was still hope. But Kurt was finished with doing _nothing_.

Kurt turned to look back at the dark room; maybe there was something in this room that could help him. He rushed to the windows, opening the heavy, musty-smelling drapes on each one to let in as much moonlight as possible, and then he really took the time to examine the room he was in. Two of the four walls were lined with books, and one with vials and bottles and boxes that reminded Kurt of Felix's home. There was a heavy wooden desk at one end of the room and several chests of drawers full of who knew what.

He wished it were one of those old mansions that had suits of armor and swords hanging on the wall. He needed a weapon, but of course, he wasn't that lucky.

His heart was pounding and his hands were shaking as he tried to open some of the drawers, but they were all locked shut. He scanned over the vials and boxes, but he didn't know what any of them were and they could hurt as much as help for all he knew. He crossed the room and looked over the bookshelves, scanning a few of the books, but most of them weren't even in English.

He was about to turn away from the books when something caught his eye. A large leather-bound book with silver writing on the spine. He couldn't read the long title as it seemed to be in Latin, but one word stood out _Dontizu_. Kurt pulled the heavy book off of the shelf with trembling hands as he heard more shouting from downstairs.

His eyes landed on the opening page where someone had scrawled something in English. He walked to the window for more light. The script was old and faded, and he could only make out a few words. _Must learn_ … _name him_ …. _Greatest power against our enemies_ …

Okay that meant nothing to Kurt and he was _wasting time_. He snapped the book closed and clenched his jaw. There were a pair of heavy candlesticks on a shelf with the bottles and wooden boxes, maybe he could use those as weapons. He started forward and then froze as he heard Blaine's voice shouting Cooper's name and the floor beneath him trembled.

He had heard Blaine use that voice before, most recently with the soothsayer when he shook her room with just the fury of his voice.

The soothsayer.

Something clicked in Kurt's mind and he ran back to the book on Dontizu. He looked at the handwritten words again, really trying to make them out now. They said something about learning someone's name. A person's name could be a weapon. He remembered the soothsayer had been angry that Blaine had used her name. Maybe that's what this inscription was about; what he could make out of the writing did seem to imply that a name had something to do with the "greatest power against our enemies".

Would that work against the Dontizu? Did they even have names? Cooper did, because he was a human before a Dontizu… which was true of all of the Dontizu actually… but how was Kurt going to be able to name them?

He quickly thumbed through the book, trying to see if he could find any more writing, but there was nothing – wait… near the back of the book in small ropey writing that looked different than the script at the beginning of the book, were just two words _Gelyn Ofnus_. Kurt had no idea what it meant, but as he looked at the words they started glowing and sparkling silver, silver like the rain that transformed the drawing room. Silver like the key wigging in the lock. Silver like the melted snow that danced around him and Blaine the first time he saw magic. Blaine's silver. Blaine's magic?

 _"Gelyn Ofnus. Gelyn Ofnus. Gelyn Ofnus,"_ Kurt repeated to himself as he put the book back and ran to the door. This was little more than nothing to go on, but he was done standing around while the man he loved could be dying. He unlocked the door and wrenched it open. He had no idea what the words meant but he hoped they were important.

Kurt hurried out onto the landing and then came to a sudden halt; looking down on the entryway was a sight that made his stomach turn over. At least a dozen dead Dontizu littered the floor, but more than that were alive, some pacing back and forth as if waiting for an order, others circled around and attacking what Kurt could only assume was Cooper, who looked exhausted and battered.

Kurt's heart was in his throat, but where was…

 _Blaine_.

Blaine was standing alone on the stairs, panting and with a nasty wound on his shoulder and his chest bleeding again. Kurt was about to rush towards him when out of the corner of his eye he saw movement.

A huge Dontizu, bigger than the others, fur darker and shaggier, was on the second floor landing with him, the creature looked at Kurt with its crimson eyes, and for a moment, Kurt was frozen in fear. The creature turned away from him, though, as if uninterested, and before Kurt could even think of what to do next, it leaped forward, down the stairs and straight on top of Blaine, knocking him off balance and topping him down the staircase. Blaine landed roughly on the floor of the entryway with the Dontizu on his back.

" _Blaine_!" Kurt screamed and ran forward. In his panic, Kurt felt something stirring inside of him, something unfamiliar and a little heady. Whatever it was felt like it wanted to burst out of his pores and would have terrified him if he weren't _already_ terrified by the sight of a huge monster clawing into the man he loved.

"Blaine!" He cried again as he got to the bottom of the stairs. Blaine lay motionless on the ground and the Dontizu turned its head to look at Kurt, blood dripping from its fangs. Oh god, oh _god_ , what could Kurt do against a creature like this? The Dontizu turned back to Blaine.

"Gelyn Ofnus," Kurt whispered hoarsely, and to his surprise, the Dontizu snapped its head back to look at him again. "Gelyn Ofnus," Kurt said again louder, and the monster crawled off of Blaine and started towards Kurt. Kurt backed up a step or two. "Gelyn Ofnus. Gelyn Ofnus!" Kurt shouted as Blaine started to stir, trying to get up.

The Dontizu snarled at Kurt but stopped its movement towards him. Kurt felt that odd sensation inside of him grow, starting at his core and pushing against his skin from the inside out. He tried to focus on the feeling and then looked the Dontizu directly in the eyes. " _Gelyn Ofnus_ ," he said again and his words came out low and calm and frightening even to Kurt's ears.

As soon as the words had been spoken, the creature stumbled backwards a couple of steps, yelping as if in pain. In that split second, Kurt shifted his eyes from the creature to Blaine who was struggling to stand behind the Dontizu and wearing a stunned look on his face. Looking away was a mistake, though; as soon as Kurt broke eye contact with the Dontizu, it surged forward, rising to its hind legs so it was at least 8 feet tall and towering over him.

Kurt's heart all but stopped, but the monster didn't even attack with its fangs or claws like Kurt expected, it just swung out an arm, hitting Kurt across the chest and knocking the air out of him, sending him flying over the railing of the stairs to hit _hard_ against a stone wall.

* * *

"NO!" Blaine yelled as he watched Kurt go flying through the air, hitting the wall and then the ground with a thud, making Blaine want to throw up.

Kurt didn't move.

Blaine's heart was in his throat and his stomach dropped. He ran stumbling with his injuries towards Kurt only to be cut off by the giant Dontizu that had hit Kurt.

" _Get out of my way!_ " Blaine commanded, his voice shaking the very foundation of house, but of course, the creature just swung at him, claws first. Blaine backed away and sent a push of magic forward, knocking the creature off its feet and opening a cut on his forehead. Blaine tried to use magic to lift it in the air and tear it to shreds like he had with that other Dontizu-he may not like that particular magic, but anything that dared to hurt Kurt more than deserved it.

The magic just didn't work.

He tried again, and while he was able to push this particular Dontizu with his power, there seemed to be little else he could do to it.

Blaine glanced around wildly, looking for a way to get to Kurt. The only Dontizu fighting were those that Cooper was going after, as he snarled and ripped into them with his claws; the rest stood on all fours, waiting. Blaine glanced back to the Dontizu in front of him. It must be the leader, the one whose howl had chilled the air like ice earlier. He looked at Kurt, who was lying on his stomach on the ground, his face turned away from Blaine and unmoving.

 _Oh god, oh god. Kurt please, please be…_ He couldn't even finish the thought; the idea of Kurt being anything but alright was too much to bear. He didn't care how powerful this Dontizu was, he _had_ to get to Kurt.

"You… have come here to die," the Dontizu leader in front of him snarled out with a truly terrifying gravel of a voice. Blaine had never heard of a Dontizu speaking while in its animal form. This was new, but Blaine didn't care. He lifted his arms again, focusing on the power pumping through him and on his need to get to Kurt, and then he pushed his magic forward-great swirling silver sparks of it pushing outwards from his palms-as forcefully as he could. He knocked the Dontizu off its feet and just enough out of the way that Blaine was able to rush towards Kurt.

" _Kurt_." He slid to his knees beside Kurt's still form. " _Please_ Kurt," he begged, his voice breaking, tears were blurring his sight as he gently placed a hand on Kurt's back.

Kurt moaned and then turned his head so that Blaine could see his face. Blaine's relief crashed over him like a tidal wave, it was almost incapacitating. There was a thick trail of blood from Kurt's forehead down to his chin, but he was _alive_.

"Oh god Kurt," Blaine's voice came out like a sob. Kurt whimpered and tried to sit up. "No, no. I'm going to heal you now okay?" He brushed his knuckles over Kurt's cheek as Kurt blinked blurrily up at him.

He didn't have a chance to start the healing process, though, before Kurt's eyes grew round. " _Watch out_ " he warned in a wavering voice. Blaine swiveled away just in time as the leader Dontizu swiped his claws right over where he had been sitting. Then, Blaine dove for Kurt, wrapping him in his arms and pulling him away from the creature, placing Kurt behind himself. He heard Kurt moan in pain and he _hated_ that the he had hurt him, but he had to keep him away from more danger.

"Its name," Kurt whispered in pain. "Use its name. I didn't have enough magic."

Blaine had no idea what Kurt was talking about. How injured was he? "I don't know its name!" Blaine said as he sent another burst of power towards the creature, knocking it off its feet again, and deepening the wound on its head, but not doing much more. It barely slowed the Dontizu down.

"You _do_ ," Kurt insisted. "You wrote it in that book upstairs." Kurt's voice didn't sound right, it was weak and shaky.

"What-"

"Gelyn Ofnus!" Kurt cried as the creature got back on its paws and started charging towards them.

Blaine had no idea what Kurt was talking about, but he trusted him, and Kurt had, for a moment, seemed to have some kind of power over this creature. Blaine locked eyes with the Dontizu and summoned the full strength of his power. "Gelyn Ofnus!" He yelled and the creature stopped its charge immediately. "I know you," Blaine said, his voice causing the room to shake again. "I name you, Gelyn Ofnus!" Blaine was shaking and his throat was dry. He had no idea who Gelyn Ofnus was or where that title came from, but he'd try anything to stop this creature.

The Dontizu tried to take one last step forward but came to a sharp halt, like it had come against an invisible barrier. Blaine kept his eyes on it, _this was working_. "Gelyn Ofnus," he repeated, the words dripping in magic and making the whole mansion shake so violently that stones fell from the ceiling and dust filled the air. A great shudder ran through the creature's body and then it opened its muzzle and started to let out a deep howl, but the howl broke off half way through as Blaine shouted again. "Gelyn Ofuns!" The house quaked and the monster whined, and then with a loud whooshing of air and a terrible cracking noise, the animal turned to stone for the briefest of moments before dissolving into dust and just _blowing away_.

Blaine was on his knees on the floor, Kurt behind him holding on to his shoulders – for a moment the room was eerily silent, debris that had fallen from the shifting house settling to the ground. All the Dontizu stood still and silent, even Cooper. Blaine glanced at him and at the other creatures, he couldn't really understand what had just happened, but he did know there was no more leader. No one to take orders from, now what?

Then the moment was broken, all of the Dontizu except Cooper started a chorus of howling so loud Blaine felt like he could feel it in his bones. Then, they rushed forward towards him and Kurt.

"Cooper!" Blaine screamed and Cooper moved as well, snapping at Dontizu on his way to his brother. He arrived a second before the others.

"Get Kurt out of here!" Blaine ordered, his heart pounding so hard it hurt.

"What? No!" Kurt shouted, but Cooper had already gotten up on his hind legs, standing like a human, and grabbed Kurt with one of his strong furry arms, holding him against his chest and lifting him off his feet.

"GO! Get out of here!" Blaine shouted urgently.

Cooper didn't hesitate, he just started towards the main doors, taking a kicking and screaming Kurt with him. "No! Stop! I won't leave him! Stop!"

The other Dontizu were upon Blaine now, not paying Cooper or Kurt any heed. Blaine started shooting out bursts of power from his hands as fast as he could, one after another, keeping the Dontizu away, but barely, and he wasn't going to be able to keep it up much longer. They were going to kill him if he didn't do something else _fast_ , but he had a plan, he just needed Cooper and Kurt to get out of the mansion first.

He started grounding his magic, pushing it downward, and the room started to shake. Cooper and Kurt made it out the front doors, and between the snarling of the Dontizu and the shaking of the mansion, he couldn't even hear Kurt's shouts anymore.

"I'm sorry, Kurt. I love you," Blaine whispered, and then with more power than Blaine had ever felt, more than he knew he had in him, he made the ground quake, and the mansion started creaking and groaning and more stones fell from the ceiling above and a huge wooden beam that supported the roof fell to the ground with a resounding crash.

Blaine's eyes roamed over the remaining Dontizu. "This is for my family," he whispered, but even his whisper echoed through the entryway and throughout the whole mansion, splitting walls and toppling furniture and breaking windows and piercing the very foundation of his old home. Blaine didn't have to say anything more; he let out the full force of his new-found magic, and in moments, _Bryn o Wyrdd_ toppled down around him.

* * *

Cooper pulled Kurt away from Blaine and out of the mansion against his will. Kurt put up as much of a fight as he could, but he was wounded and Cooper was huge and _strong_. There was nothing he could do even though all he wanted was to be beside Blaine.

They got out to the grassy bluff outside of the mansion and Cooper gently put Kurt on the ground. Kurt sprang to his feet and tried to rush past Cooper, but Cooper just leaped in front of him, snarling and cutting off his way. "Let me go back to him!" Kurt shouted, his voice shaking with anger and fear. "We can't just leave him!"

Cooper just growled in return, not threateningly really, but enough to know that he wasn't going to just let Kurt go back. Kurt was wracking his brain, trying to think of what to do, but he swayed on his feet and his thoughts were sluggish, and god his head _ached_. Then with a gasp, both he and Cooper looked back at the mansion. It was shaking like there was an earthquake just underneath it. Kurt could feel the vibrations of it from here.

"Cooper we have to-" Kurt started, but then the whole house seemed to sway and start breaking apart. Kurt ran forward, Cooper in his surprise letting him pass. Kurt ran as fast as he could, wiping blood from his temple and out of his eyes and his arm aching-he thought it might be broken-but still he hurried on until he got just a yard away from the mansion. Then, with a loud groaning and crushing noise, the mansion collapsed in on itself. In a matter of moments, _Bryn o Wyrdd_ was flattened _._ Nothing but dust and rubble.

Kurt's breath hitched and he came to a complete halt. He surveyed the ruins of Blaine's old home and his head felt a little light. " _Blaine_ ," he choked out and started running forward again. He was stopped this time by Cooper's strong Dontizu arms around him. "No please, let me go. Please. _Please_."

Cooper slowly let him down to the ground again where Kurt fell to his knees feeling dizzy and sick. "No no _no_." He sobbed.

He heard Cooper groaning and yelping behind him, the crackling of his bones that meant he was turning back to his human form, but Kurt didn't turn around. He just stared at the ruins in front of him, knowing Blaine was somewhere crushed underneath them. His heart was pounding too fast and his head hurt and his eyes stung with tears – this couldn't be happening. " _Please Blaine_ ," he whimpered, and then he took in a quick breath before rising to his feet.

"What are you going to do?" Cooper asked, his voice sounding broken, as Kurt continued to stare steadily at the wreckage.

"I'm going to find him."

"There's nothing we can-"

"I'm going to find him!"

Kurt started stumbling through the rubble, holding his injured arm to his chest and heading toward where he would guess was the last spot he saw Blaine. He tripped and fell, skinning his knees, and he saw the broken bloodied leg of a Dontizu sticking out of the debris. He gritted his jaw, got up and continued on.

He was blinking tears out of his eyes and wiping his face again of blood and dust when there was a rumble to his left; he spun towards the noise and saw a bunch of leveled stones shifting. Kurt held his breath; something was moving under the debris, and as far as Kurt knew, it could be an angry and vengeful Dontizu. Then, there was a bright burst of light shooting out from beneath the rocks, its silver glow outshining the moon above.

Broken pieces of the mansion rolled away as a hand came up out of the rubble, and then another, and then, Kurt could see the top of a dust-covered curly head of hair.

"Blaine!" Kurt shouted and stumbled over, using his good arm to grab Blaine's hand to help pull him out. Cooper was there in a flash, reaching for his brother, and between the two of them, they were able to lift Blaine out of the wreckage. Blaine fell to his knees, coughing hard, as dust and stone fragments fell from his hair.

"Oh god, oh god," Kurt repeated through his tears as he held onto Blaine one-handed and started kissing anything he could reach, his ear, his head, his cheek, his shoulder. "Are you… are you okay?" Kurt finally asked through his tears and Blaine looked up to meet his eyes, his face ashy and bloodied.

He smiled slowly. "I can't feel them anymore. They're dead, the Dontizu… they're gone."

Kurt laughed a little madly and tried to throw his arms around Blaine, hissing in pain as he remembered his injured arm, but still he clung to Blaine with one arm, his whole body trembling. "You did it. You did it."

Blaine wrapped his arms around Kurt and held him so tightly it was as if he was afraid of letting go. "We did it Kurt. You were so… _reckless_ , but you knew how to destroy that lead Dontizu, that was all you."

"Don't talk to me about being reckless," Kurt said as he buried his face in Blaine's shoulder, not able to calm his tears. "You just pulled a house down on top of yourself." He felt Blaine sigh deeply and then start to stand, pulling Kurt up with him. He swayed a little on his feet and Kurt wrapped his arm around Blaine's waist. They could both hardly stand so they leaned on each other.

"Let's get you out of this rubble," Kurt said, leading him forward. He looked around for Cooper but didn't see him.

They got out of the rubble and both of them fell down in exhaustion, laying out on the damp grass. "How did you live through that?" Kurt asked, turning towards him, his eyes carefully scanning Blaine's face; even with the pale light of the moon and through the dirt and dust, Kurt could see plenty of cuts and bruises.

"I have a little magic," Blaine said with a smirk and Kurt stared at him incredulously for a moment before he moved in and crashed their lips together. The kiss was salty with tears and bitter with dirt, but it was full of relief and love and was the most amazing kiss Kurt could ever remember having.

"Okay but…," Kurt said as he continued to kiss him, "If you ever have your Dontizu brother pull me out… of… a crumbling… mansion while… you stay inside… to fight… monsters… I am not going…" He kissed him long and hard, his hand curled in the hair at the nape of Blaine's neck and their breath mingled together. "To forgive you," Kurt sighed as their lips parted. Kurt smiled at him, glad to see Blaine's pale face taking on a little more color.

"Fair enough," Blaine said a little hoarsely and then cleared his throat. "More than fair in fact." He sat up with a groan and Kurt knelled next to him as Blaine reached up to the wound on Kurt's head. "Can I _please_ heal you?"

"Can you heal yourself, now that you have your full magic back?" Kurt asked looking over Blaine. He was still shirtless and covered in dust and blood. Besides the scrapes on his face, it looked like his chest wounds had reopened and there was an ominous bite mark on his shoulder, and Kurt's hand was bloody from where it had been pressed against Blaine's back.

"I can't heal myself, but I can help you," Blaine said, shaking his head and causing little specks of stone to fall into his lap. He reached up and gently touched Kurt's cheek, " _Please_?"

Kurt nodded and light started glowing from Blaine's palm and Kurt immediately felt warm as Blaine's magic to healed his head and then moved down to heal his broken arm. Kurt felt a tingle from his head to his toes and he leaned in again to press a soft kiss to Blaine's lips, hating that he was still so injured when Kurt felt so well.

They looked up as Cooper walked towards them, wearing a pair of sweatpants that were much too short for him and tossing a hoodie at Blaine. "It's cold out," he said.

Kurt watched as Blaine winced and pulled the hoodie over his head. It was Kurt's hoodie, and as he took another glance at Cooper, those seemed to be Kurt's sweatpants too.

"Your luggage was in the wrecked car," Cooper explained. "Thought it might be better if I didn't stand around naked."

"Are you cold?" Kurt asked, looking at the half-dressed Cooper. He was also injured and bleeding, deep cuts in his chest and one across his eye that looked particularly grisly.

"No," he answered simply.

Blaine stood shakily to his feet, Kurt hurrying up as well to help steady him.

"So let's get this over with," Cooper said, his face set like stone.

Blaine nodded. "I can heal you too." He lifted a hand out towards his brother, but Cooper flinched and took a step backwards.

"Why would you heal me?"

"Because... you're hurt…" Blaine answered in confusion.

"Why heal me before killing me?"

Blaine opened his mouth to speak but then clamped it closed in surprise and didn't say a word. Kurt stood looking back and forth between the two. When neither seemed likely to break the silence, he spoke up. "Why would he _kill_ you?"

"I'm still a Dontizu. A monster. I'm evil. You haven't really destroyed all the Dontizu if I'm still alive."

Kurt turned his gaze to Blaine. He looked exhausted; his wounds had stopped bleeding, but they were still numerous, Kurt was surprised he was even standing and his eyes were so sad that it made Kurt's chest ache. _Don't think you have to do this Blaine please_. "He's your brother," Kurt whispered.

Blaine looked at him briefly and it seemed like he tried to smile but it came off more like a grimace. "Would you give the two of us a moment?" He asked.

Kurt didn't want to move an inch away from Blaine, who looked ready to collapse, but he knew this was something the Andersons had to deal with themselves. He nodded and stayed where he was as Blaine started to walk away, Cooper following his lead, his head down and shoulders slumped. The two of them stopped at the edge of the forest, speaking in low voices. Kurt hugged his arms around himself to fight off the cold.

Kurt didn't really mean to listen but as the two Anderson brothers spoke, a few words floated through the wind towards Kurt.

"Do what you have to do…"

"You're my brother, Cooper, don't be stupid."

They spoke a little more, Kurt not catching most of it until Cooper eventually lifted his head to look Blaine in the eyes as a small smile formed on his lips. Blaine lifted a hand to Cooper's chest and Kurt watched Blaine's sparkling silver light glow through Cooper's chest as wounds mended themselves, skin knitting back together, the gash on his eye healing quickly. Kurt smiled. Blaine moved his hand to Cooper's shoulder and squeezed.

Kurt could just make out Cooper's thick, sorrowful voice. "Take care Squirt."

Blaine nodded as Cooper turned towards the trees. Blaine seemed like he was going to let him go before he called out, "Wait!"

Cooper stopped, and Blaine rushed forward, giving his brother a tight hug. It only lasted a minute, but Kurt would have sworn he saw Cooper wipe his eye. Then, Cooper turned again and, running forward and leaping into the air, he turned into a Dontizu mid-leap before he bounded away.

Blaine watched after him for a moment and then walked back to Kurt, his steps a little wobbly.

"Is everything okay?" Kurt asked quietly, wrapping an arm around him to steady him.

"I'm not going to kill my own brother," Blaine answered.

"Of course you're not."

"He didn't actually want me to."

That seemed like an odd statement, why Blaine would have thought Cooper wanted that was beyond him.

"He just thought I would have to," Blaine's voice was heavy and sad.

"But you don't have to because he's your brother, and he isn't a threat, right?" Kurt said carefully, rubbing his hand up and down Blaine's back, and then pulling him in to lean on his side.

"I did warn him that I would hear of it if he continued killing. There are other ways for Dontizu to survive… and it will be easier now for him with the other Dontizu gone… he is just going to have to learn those ways." Blaine stared back out towards the forest.

"So he's just… gone then?"

Blaine turned back to him and smiled weakly. "He told me to tell you that… that he was glad it was you who found my heartstone."

Kurt reached out and folded Blaine into his arms, pressing his cheek against Blaine's own. Even in the cool of the night, his skin was warmer than Kurt had ever felt it. "So am I. So Glad." He pulled back after a moment. "Can we please go somewhere where I can look at your wound now? I'm very worried about you and you need some rest and some-"

"TLC?" Blaine supplied with lifted eyebrows.

Kurt chuckled. He was still trembling a bit from everything that had happened, but he was starting to feel better now that Blaine was smiling. "I'd be happy to provide some tender loving care."

"Mmmmm." Blaine hummed and closed his eyes, leaning his forehead against Kurt's as he held on to his shoulders. "I love you Kurt."

"I _love_ you," Kurt said softly, kissing him. All the fear and anxiety from the past few days was still humming inside of him even though the danger was over now, but as he slipped an arm around Blaine's waist, he felt a little steadier. "Now let me take care of you, we need to get back to town."

Blaine nodded, looking tired but calm and he leaned on Kurt as they started down the path. Blaine cast one last look behind his shoulder at the wreckage that was once his home. They'd come back, Kurt vowed he would do that for Blaine. They would come back and see if there was anything Blaine wanted that was still salvageable, but for now, Kurt's priority was getting Blaine's injuries taken care of.

The sky was bright with stars and the air was crisp against Kurt's cheeks as they continued towards the town, and Kurt's relief was almost overpowering. It was over. There were no creatures trying to kill the man he loved and somehow they both lived through it. Blaine was warm and safe leaning against him, even if he was still a little shaky on his feet as he let Kurt lead them, apparently too tired or hurt to do anything but trust that Kurt was going to take care of everything. Kurt could only begin to imagine the relief that Blaine must be feeling now that everything was finally over, he'd been living in fear for so long.

Kurt glanced at Blaine's profile, illuminated by the soft light of the moon and couldn't help but smile. They continued on - away from the dangers of Blaine's past, away from everything that had been weighing on Blaine for so long-and forward to a fresh start. Finally, they could start their lives, free from the evil and pain that Blaine had dealt with for his entire life. They'd won. Even so, Kurt knew that Blaine's painful memories wouldn't just go away—how could they?—but with Blaine _whole_ for the first time in nearly a century, and Kurt by his side, he knew that they would be able to make it.


	18. Epilogue

**AN: I'm really sad to be ending this story, I very much enjoyed writing it for all of you, so thank you for reading, it means a lot to me. Also a HUGE thank you to my beta TheatreVicki who really helped shape this story into what it is and just overall being my cheerleader and support. She is the best.**

 **I hope you all enjoy this last part!**  
 **And now the epilogue...**

* * *

"Blaine. Be _still_ ," Kurt scolded, trying to keep a smile off of his face. He was very serious and trying to concentrate and Blaine wiggling around and making cute comments wasn't helping, even if it was adorable.

"Sorry," Blaine said, smiling up at him from where he was lying on the bed. "You're doing really well, don't be so hard on yourself."

Kurt rolled his eyes, he wasn't picking up this whole magic thing as quickly as he wanted and he was finding that frustrating. The sooner he got this, the sooner he could help Blaine. He shifted his gaze from Blaine's earnest eyes back to his own hands, cupped, like he was trying to hold water in them and hovering over Blaine's casually stretched out body. Blaine just smiled up at him, one arm folded under his head and a knee bent with his foot flat on the bed.

Kurt looked at his hands and focused all his attention on feeling that odd prickling sensation under his skin that he'd discovered was his own small measure of magic. The same magic he'd used against the Dontizu months ago. Blaine had been teaching him how to feel and anchor and use his magic – always praising him as a quick learner and a great student. Kurt thought Blaine was probably biased.

Finally, after staring at his hands for so long that he had a headache and thought he might go cross-eyed, a small but brilliant ball of green light started swirling in his hands. He grinned in satisfaction. Kurt had been surprised at the appearance of his magic the first time he saw it, disliking the green color of it in comparison to Blaine's sparkling silver power.

Blaine, on the other hand, had gasped at the sight of it, stating that it was beautiful and comparing it to the color of Kurt's eyes when he wore that forest colored sweater of his. Kurt had smiled at that, it was hard to dislike a color that made Blaine think of his eyes.

Kurt didn't have a lot of magic and would have never even have known he had _any_ if Blaine wasn't so good at drawing it out of him. Today, they were trying something that they hadn't tried with Kurt's magic before, and though Blaine looked calm and easy, Kurt's stomach was swirling with nerves.

"That's perfect," Blaine said, breaking Kurt out of his thoughts, "That's enough magic to give healing a try."

Kurt glanced down at Blaine's bare chest, long pink and white scars across it, as well as puncture wounds in his shoulder, and Kurt knew Blaine's back looked even grimmer. Blaine never complained, and the scars didn't bother Kurt, nothing so superficial could ever make Blaine less beautiful to him. However, they ached sometimes, especially in the cold; Blaine would wince a little and Kurt knew that a small wince from Blaine meant more than a moan of pain from others. Kurt wanted more than anything to heal them, at least a little bit.

Still, as he knelt next to Blaine on the bed, staring at the swirling lights in his hand, he couldn't seem to make himself do anything. "I won't hurt you will I?" Kurt asked, glancing quickly at Blaine's eyes.

"You won't hurt me, Kurt."

"I mean, I don't really know what I'm doing."

"You do."

"And I'm still so new to magic. And what if I try to help but make things worse?"

"You won't."

"So there is no way I could hurt you?"

"Kurt," Blaine sat up next to him. "You won't hurt me."

"But what if-" Kurt's protests were cut off by a sweet soft kiss from Blaine.

"You don't have to do this if you don't want to," he whispered against Kurt's lips. "But I trust you."

Kurt nodded, wanting to let go of the magic completely and just kiss Blaine soundly instead, but that wouldn't heal him. He took a deep breath and looked down at his hands before opening them towards Blaine and then pressing his palms against Blaine's chest. He smiled at the warmth of Blaine's smooth tan skin. It had been a little while since Wales, but Kurt was still getting used to Blaine's temperature change-once always cold, he was now like a walking space heater. When it got cold at night, Kurt would just curl up closer to Blaine and let his body heat soothe him to sleep.

There were other changes in Blaine too, but Kurt found it was really more like learning new aspects of the man he loved than thinking he had changed. Blaine was happier, and louder, and would actually sing and dance around the apartment sometimes. He made Kurt laugh so hard his sides hurt. He thought he'd loved Blaine before, and of course he had, but now it was like Blaine had been turned up. Like he'd been a light with the dimmer turned down and now he was using his full wattage. It was a wonderful thing to see.

Blaine took in a quick breath and Kurt looked up at his face in worry.

"I think it's working Kurt. It feels..."

"Tingly?" Kurt asked hopefully, remembering the sensation of having Blaine heal him.

Blaine nodded and looked down at his chest glowing with Kurt's green light as Kurt slid a hand up to the bite scar on Blaine's shoulder.

Kurt had wanted to take him to a hospital once they'd gotten back to town after the long trek from the ruined _Bryn o Wyrdd_. Blaine was upright but barely conscious and Kurt was so worried his jaw hurt from clenching it too tight. Blaine had refused, though, saying it would be too hard to explain where his injuries came from and why they were healing so fast. Instead, they got a hotel room and Blaine had collapsed down on the bed and slept for the next twelve hours.

When he finally woke up again, his injuries had mostly healed, besides the scars, and his face finally had some color to it. He blinked up at Kurt and smiled and Kurt had asked the question that had been bothering him as he'd watched Blaine sleep for the past few hours. "You aren't going to become a Dontizu are you?"

Blaine had wrinkled up his brow, "No... They're all gone. Besides Cooper, and he would never-"

"No." Kurt shook his head and gently ran a finger over the wound on Blaine's shoulder. "In stories when someone gets bitten by a werewolf they become a werewolf."

Blaine had reached for his hands, sweetly kissing his knuckles as he replied, "This isn't a story and there are no werewolves."

When Kurt just huffed out a breath in response, Blaine assured him that he was fine and in no danger of becoming a monster. "There aren't any werewolves in our story, but _you_ are my knight in shining armor," he'd said and smiled when Kurt had laughed and rolled his eyes at that.

Kurt smiled now, watching the scars on Blaine's shoulder grow smaller, the long lashes on his chest becoming thinner. It was working. His magic was actually healing Blaine. He let out a small joyful laugh. "I can't believe I'm doing this. Quick, turn around while it is still working!"

Blaine complied and turned so that Kurt could press his palms against his back, where the worst of the injuries were. He watched in amazement as the wounds thinned and lightened in color. He wasn't able to heal Blaine completely the way Blaine could, but he was helping.

It didn't take long before Kurt was exhausted. That was something he'd first learned about magic. It didn't just come from nowhere, it came from inside of you and it took a lot of energy. Kurt's magic was small but it still wore him out to use it this much.

"That's good," Blaine said, turning around and curling Kurt's hands into his own.

"I can do more."

Blaine shook his head. "Not now love, I can tell it is tiring you."

Kurt nodded in resignation because Blaine was right, his shoulders felt heavy and his hands trembled a little. Still, it was an amazing feeling to know it was his magic that pumped through Blaine's veins right now.

Blaine rolled his shoulders and then lifted his arms, stretching them over his head until they popped.

"How do you feel?"

" _Amazing_." Blaine declared, his face sporting a broad grin. "Really, really amazing." He grabbed Kurt by the waist and pressed their lips together, leaning in until they both toppled down onto the bed. Kurt laughed and held onto Blaine's shoulders, kissing him back as the kiss grew heated and Blaine's hands slid under Kurt's shirt in search for more skin to touch.

It was a lazy Saturday morning and they had more than enough time for what Blaine was obviously going for here. Kurt quickly and gladly started stripping off layers before reaching for the button on Blaine's jeans and undoing them. Blaine shimmied out of the pants and then ran his hands smoothly over Kurt's bare chest until he was stretched out on his back with Blaine hovering over him, kissing every inch of skin he could reach.

"You _are_ feeling good aren't you?" Kurt laughed and Blaine's lips moved from his neck down to his shoulder and then his chest.

"I feel incredible, Kurt." Blaine said as he swiped the tip of his tongue over Kurt's nipple making him tremble. "I want to make you feel just as good."

Kurt laughed again, bringing a hand up to Blaine's curly hair as his lips continued to travel down and down. Blaine's breath was warm over Kurt's thighs when he looked up at Kurt with beautiful golden eyes. "I love you."

Kurt blinked down at him, "I love you more than anything," he breathed, and with that, Blaine smirked and then took Kurt into his mouth, bobbing his head and twirling his tongue.

Kurt gasped, tilting his head back and letting his fingers curl in Blaine's hair. Sparks of pleasure shot up through Kurt's stomach, making him pant and buck his hips. "Oh _god_ Blaine."

He felt Blaine chuckle, the vibrations intensifying Kurt's pleasure and he choked out a cry before Blaine slid his lips off of him and then crawled back up, kissing his lips.

"Don't stop _now_." Kurt panted.

"I just thought…" Blaine lifted his eyebrows and then leaned over to the nightstand, opening the drawer and grabbing some lube and a condom.

"Oh… Yeah. Yes, that's a great idea," Kurt said as his body nearly lurched forward in eagerness.

Blaine's warm body pressed against his as they continued to kiss and Kurt lazily worked Blaine open, his lips sliding down Blaine's neck as he listened to him pant and moan. It wasn't long before they were moving together, the bed creaking beneath them, pressed chest to chest and breath mingled as Kurt gripped Blaine tightly.

"Oh god Kurt, oh god." Blaine breathed as Kurt moved inside him. There had been times since they'd gotten back to the states that Kurt would have small anxiety attacks thinking of how close Blaine had come to dying. How close they _both_ had come to not surviving the Dontizu; in those moments, sometimes all he needed was Blaine's calm voice, other times he needed the press of Blaine's naked skin against his own.

This wasn't one of those times, though; this was sweet and heady and full of laughter as they came down from their climaxing, lying next to each other on the bed, sweaty and dirty and wrapped in each other's arms. Kurt felt safe and complete when he was with Blaine. Even though his relationship with Blaine had brought more danger than he'd ever imagined, things had calmed now, and they were starting a life together. He loved this man in his arms more than he could even say. Everything they'd been through was worth it to be with him.

Neither of them moved for a moment, Blaine heavy in his arms until Kurt became uncomfortable enough that he had to pull out and get up to grab a washcloth to clean them off. Soon, he was sliding under the covers to lay against Blaine. "You know, I almost wish we didn't have plans this evening," Kurt said. "We could stay all day in bed."

Blaine's fingers lightly trailed up and down Kurt's bare back. "That does sound nice, but this evening is a big deal, Kurt."

"I know." He shifted in Blaine's embrace so he was looking up at the ceiling and then he glanced around the room. "We need to paint the bedroom next."

Blaine turned to look at him. "Hum?"

"We've redone the living room and it finally looks like someone lives here, but now that I'm fully moved in, we should redo the bedroom next. This apartment is actually starting to feel like a home." They waited for Kurt to finish up at NYADA before Kurt moved to Blaine's place, it only made sense as he was spending most of his nights there anyway.

Blaine smiled brightly at him. "It felt like home to me the day you moved in."

Kurt stopped his perusal of the room to look Blaine in the face, blushing slightly before rolling his eyes. Blaine had become the king of saying sappy, cheesy things. Kurt teased him about it, but honestly he couldn't get enough.

Eventually they did have to get up. They showered and ate a late lunch before getting ready for the evening. Kurt had already picked out what he was going to wear, but as he pulled out his freshly pressed suit, he started questioning it.

"This isn't too formal is it?" Kurt asked, holding up the suit for Blaine's inspection. Blaine was already in his slacks and an open button up shirt, looking both casual and dashing. Kurt was helping him replenish his wardrobe, as it seemed Blaine hadn't really cared what he'd worn for the last few decades. He was finally starting to find his sense of style and Kurt loved it, he always looked like an old time movie star.

"Kurt, you look fantastic in that suit, and this is an important evening."

"Yes, but people don't dress up for shows the way they used too, I don't want it to look like I'm trying too hard."

Blaine walked over and placed his hands on Kurt's shoulders, then slid his hands up to cup Kurt's neck, and Kurt shivered a little at the touch. He didn't think Blaine would ever stop making his stomach fill with butterflies.

"Kurt, you already pretty much have the part. Having dinner with the producer and then going to see the show is just a formality."

"Things aren't as set in stone as you think, Blaine, just because _Felix_ says it is as good as done-"

"Hey, Felix is getting good at this fortune telling thing he's taken up. I trust his prediction."

Kurt shook the suit on its hanger. "Okay, but this suit or not?"

"Yes, wear the suit." Blaine smiled, "It's the perfect choice because _you_ picked it out a week ago just for this."

Kurt knew his nerves were starting to show, but it couldn't really be helped. He auditioned for a part on a Broadway show just on the off chance that something could happen, but mostly for the experience of auditioning. He never expected to get a call back or that he'd be invited to have dinner with the producer who wanted to see the show with him.

If Blaine and Felix were right, the part was already his, but he was trying _not_ to put all of his hope on Felix's rune stones. Kurt adored Felix and Blaine was the love of his life, and they may both have a long history with magic and trust such things, but it was still all a little extraordinary to Kurt.

Kurt put on his suit, a dark blue with a sharp black and blue patterned shirt underneath, and then helped Blaine tie his checked burgundy bowtie. He wasn't confident on how this evening was going to go, but either way, he would be well dressed.

"You look amazing," Blaine said, leaning forward to kiss Kurt's lips. "And don't worry. Tonight is going to be great."

Kurt nodded and let out a long breath to calm himself down, then he reached for Blaine's hand, swinging it between them and feeling calmer knowing Blaine was by his side. "Okay, let's do this."

* * *

Blaine let Kurt and Henry Collins, the producer they were meeting with, do most of the talking over dinner at the Nomad. Speaking up enough so that it wasn't awkward for him to be there, and occasionally praising Kurt, but letting them steer the conversation. He still wasn't as good with people as he wished he was, as good as he _should_ be after all the years of practice he'd had. Kurt was infinitely better at making friends and keeping up light conversation.

He was so proud of Kurt; he'd been auditioning non-stop since graduation and this could be his big break. After all that Kurt had done and gone through to stand by him, he knew that Kurt more than deserved it. Besides, he was so very talented, the part had to be his.

After dinner, they went to the theater to see the show Kurt had auditioned for. Kurt sat in rapt attention the whole time. He had seen the play before, of course, but Blaine knew he was picturing himself up on that stage. Blaine could see it all so clearly himself.

Kurt and Collins started talking business after the play, so Blaine quietly stepped away to not interfere. He waited for Kurt outside of the Booth Theatre, his hands in his pockets as he nervously rocked back and forth on his heels. He was probably as anxious about this opportunity as Kurt was.

He felt a chill run up his spine and looked up quickly, scanning the sidewalk by the light of a streetlamp. The hairs on the back of his arm were standing on end, something was nearby that didn't belong here. He glanced to the front doors of the theater-Kurt was safe inside-and then to the few people still mingling outside of the theater. He started pulling his magic forward, trying to determine what he could do to protect them if trouble was-

"Why so nervous Squirt?"

Blaine's heart leaped in his chest. " _Cooper_." He spun around to face him.

"You're too tense." Cooper smiled at him.

Blaine ran his hand though his hair and sighed, his shoulders relaxing. Cooper was here, Dontizu or not, he couldn't help but feel relieved at the sight of him. "You can't just sneak up on people like that."

"I don't _sneak_. I'm just naturally stealthy."

Blaine did everything he could to not give Cooper the satisfaction of a smile, his heart rate was still slowing down, but it was hard when his brother was standing here in front of him out of the blue with a sly smile on his own lips.

Blaine glanced behind his shoulder towards the theater again, looking for Kurt, and then back to Cooper. "What are you doing here?"

"Checking on my kid brother."

"I'm 114," Blaine said, finally smiling.

"Okay, and how is my _decrepit_ kid brother?"

Blaine laughed, "I'm really good, Coop." Questions were swirling in his mind, so much to say to Cooper, but not knowing where to start.

"And Kurt?"

Blaine couldn't help the blush he felt on his cheeks or the smile that threatened to take over his face.

"Ahh, good. I'm glad of that," Cooper said.

Blaine took a breath and licked his lips. "How are _you,_ Cooper? I haven't heard from you since Wales."

"I've been behaving if that's what you're asking. I know you're checking up on me. It's motivation."

"No, Coop. I'm asking _how are you_?"

Cooper looked past Blaine for a moment as if lost in thought. "It isn't easy, being a Dontizu trying to live like a human… but I don't want to let you down."

Blaine's throat felt a little tight. Those words hurt. His brother was alone in the world, struggling against his magical nature just because he didn't want to let Blaine down. Blaine reached out and laid a hand on his arm and Cooper's focus came back to him.

"You don't have to do this alone."

"I really do though."

Blaine sighed, a headache coming on. "You're a good man, Cooper."

"I'm not a man at all."

"Yes, you are."

Cooper smiled again. "You really do seem to being doing well, Blaine. You look better than the last time I saw you."

"And you're actually properly dressed," Blaine said, letting his hand fall and glancing at Cooper's jeans and sweater. "That's an improvement." He so wanted to reach out and give his brother a hug, but there was still a little tension between them, even after fighting side by side at _Bryn o Wyrdd_. "Kurt and I are meeting up with some friends this evening, you should join us."

Cooper's smile slipped. "I shouldn't. I can't."

"But Cooper-"

"My life isn't safe for normal people. I just… I was in New York anyway on personal business and thought I should stop and see you, I'm not going another two decades without you again, but I can't stay.

Blaine took a step closer, "I'm telling you, Cooper, don't be alone. Let me help."

"I need to figure things out for myself, for a while at least. I have a lot to make up for, and you have a lot of life to live, I don't want to pull you down."

Blaine sighed; they'd had this discussion once before. "Then you need to at least promise to stop by more often. You could stay with Kurt and me. Neither of us are _normal_ anyway. Kurt's learning magic," he said with some pride.

Cooper chuckled and shook his head. "You two will be a force to be reckoned with." Cooper glanced at some of the people outside of the theater who started moving towards them. "It's good to see you, Blaine, but I should go."

"You haven't even seen Kurt yet," Blaine hurried to say, his heart aching in his chest with wanting his brother to stay.

"Next time. I hear he's about to receive some good news. I hope you two have fun _celebrating_." Cooper winked knowingly and Blaine blushed again. "See you soon, Squirt."

"But Coop-" Blaine was interrupted by someone calling his name behind him.

"Blaine!"

Blaine turned around to see Kurt rushing towards him, a smile on his lips and his eyes wide. Kurt didn't stop when he got close; instead, he just threw himself into Blaine's embrace and Blaine happily caught him, hugging tightly.

"I got the part!" Kurt said, and then he pulled back enough to look at Blaine's face, while still holding close. "I got the part!" He was bouncing on his toes and Blaine couldn't help but bounce a little too – this excited energy he felt sometimes was something completely new to him, but very enjoyable.

"Kurt! I knew you would. I _knew_ it."

"I'm going to be on Broadway!"

"I'm going to be dating a Broadway star! I'm looking forward to that." Blaine teased

Kurt just leaned in, pressing his lips against Blaine's. He let his lips linger before eventually pulling back, staying just a breath away. "I can't believe this is happening," he whispered.

"I do. You deserve this, Kurt." He kissed Kurt's lips again and then his cheek and his neck.

Kurt sighed but then playfully swatted at him. "Not _here_."

Blaine grinned before remembering Cooper, he turned quickly but his brother was gone. Blaine wasn't really surprised.

"Everything alright?"

Blaine turned back to Kurt and nodded. "Yes, everything is perfect." He wasn't going to be disappointed, not tonight.

Blaine hailed a cab for them and they set out to a little bar near their apartment that they frequented. Blaine had invited some of Kurt's friends to celebrate with them, confident that they were getting good news about Kurt's part this evening.

They walked in and Kurt was immediately accosted by Rachel and Jesse, even Mercedes, who was in town this month. Kurt was surrounded by his friends and he was telling them all about his part while they offered to buy him drinks.

Blaine loved all of Kurt's friends, but he still felt a little out of place in a group; he stood to the side, enjoying watching Kurt's animated explanations and the infectious smile on his face.

"Told you he'd get the part," Felix said has he strolled up next to him while sipping a Bordeaux and handing one to Blaine. "Drink up! It's a celebration."

"I told Kurt just today that you were getting uncanny with those rune stones."

"Well what else am I to do to keep you from running off to London to associate with sketchy fortune tellers son of Ander?"

"I don't think she'd have the gall to see me again even if I wanted to see her," Blaine answered. "Besides, that life is all behind me now."

"Oh yes, you are an upstanding citizen. Just an ordinary antiques dealer now." Felix smirked at him.

Blaine's business may not be completely on the up and up, but his life was most certainly less dramatic than it had been. And he was happy, so happy. Happier than he could ever remember being. He glanced at Kurt who was laughing with Mercedes, blue eyes glittering and his cheeks rosy with joy. Blaine was happier than he could have ever expected for himself.

He took a sip of wine and enjoyed the warm feeling of it down his throat. "Yes, I'm ordinary. Just a regular guy completely in love and lucky enough to have that love returned."

"Hmm… in my experience that is actually quite extraordinary," Felix said, taking a sip. They stood in companionable silence for a moment before Felix spoke up again. "I've been doing some more research on that book from your home in Wales." A month or so ago, Blaine and Kurt had made a trip back to Blaine's homeland. They'd combed through the ruins of his former house, not finding much, but they did come away with the Anderson family portrait, miraculously unharmed, and the book Kurt said he'd found the lead Dontizu's name in.

"Any luck finding out who wrote in the name?" Blaine asked in curiosity. He'd done all kinds of spells trying to find the answer to that, before giving up. Felix was more determined.

"Not really. The book still seems to have your magic in it, though the writing is obviously not yours."

Blaine had his own theories on that, ones he'd shared with Felix and Kurt. Family magic could look similar, and he for one thought it was his mother's writing, but they may never know for sure.

Felix patted Blaine's shoulder. "Now to go meet the incomparable Mercedes Jones. Mercedes, meaning favorable mercies. Do you think she'd do us a favorable mercy and sing for us this evening? I could die a happy man if I heard her sing."

"Die, Felix? You're the one that is still immortal."

"It's an expression, son of Ander." He said and Blaine grinned as Felix wandered off to join the group.

Later that evening, Blaine found himself in bed with Kurt, both of them naked and panting, ending the day the way they'd started it. Blaine felt content down to his toes, it had been a perfect day.

Kurt was curled up next to him, resting his head on Blaine's chest. "I still can't believe I got that part," he said once they'd caught their breath. "I really can't, I just graduated NYADA and now I'm on Broadway? It seems unreal."

Blaine let his fingertips lazily trace patterns over Kurt's back, his skin smooth and soft. "It seems right to me."

Kurt lifted himself up to look Blaine in the face, his hair was messy and his cheeks bright, he was so gorgeous that Blaine felt like he needed to pinch himself sometimes just to make sure this was real "You didn't… use magic to get me that part did you?"

"What?" Blaine furrowed his brow. "No never. You did this all on your own Kurt, you didn't need magic."

Kurt grinned and then laughed lightly, kicking his feet a little before pillowing his head on Blaine's chest again. "I'm so happy."

Blaine savored the moment, Kurt's warm pliant body against his and their lives coming together so well. One hundred and fourteen years of life and he'd never hoped for something as wonderful as Kurt to ever happen to him.

He almost felt guilty for being this content. "I saw Cooper today."

Kurt sat back up, "You what?"

"We spoke briefly outside of the theater."

Kurt's eyes widened. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes. Everything's fine. I think he was just… checking on me."

Kurt nodded and leaned on his side, head propped up on an elbow, free hand tracing circles on Blaine's chest. "How is he?"

"He seemed good. Healthy." He sighed to the ceiling. "Still alone."

Kurt studied Blaine's face for a long moment, as if trying to determine what to say next. "Are you okay?"

"I miss him. It's good to know he is doing okay though."

"I wished he'd stop running off without letting me talk to him first. I have so much to thank him for. "

Blaine nodded, "I think he feels guilty about who he has been these past few years. He's trying to make up for it. He'll come around. I hope he'll come around. I invited him to stay with us, maybe he'll take me up on it some time."

"I'm sure he will. He's your family after all." Kurt leaned down and pressed a sweet kiss to Blaine's lips. Blaine hummed into the kiss. Kurt made to move away but Blaine held his shoulders and kissed him again, slow and languid, taking his time to show Kurt just how much he loved him.

When they pulled apart, Kurt's cheeks were flushed and his eyes bright. "I love you," he sighed as he ran his fingers down Blaine's cheek.

"I love you too." Blaine closed his eyes for a moment, feeling warm and content and so _so_ grateful for a day in a coffee shop when this man stopped to put cinnamon in his coffee and gave him a chance to truly be himself. He opened his eyes again to find Kurt smiling down at him. "What are you smiling at?"

"At how lucky I am."

"I was just thinking of how lucky I am to have you."

"Mmm, you are lucky," Kurt said with a teasing smile before laying his head down again, right over Blaine's heart to listen to it beat. "Do you ever find it strange to be whole again after all the time you spent without… without all of yourself?"

"Mostly, I'm just thankful."

"Does it feel like you have your heart back? Like it was missing?" Kurt asked these kinds of questions often, trying to understand how Blaine felt and making sure he was alright.

"I feel amazing, Kurt. Better than I could have even imagined," Blaine answered, kissing the top of Kurt's head. "But as far as my heart goes… I gave that to you almost the very moment we met."

Kurt laughed. "Oh god you're cheesy these days."

"You love it."

"Yes I do," Kurt said placing a kiss to his chest, "Yes, I do."


End file.
